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| Here I am, Lord, Send Me! (or maybe not)I know I must not be the first mother who has toured beautiful campus after beautiful campus and thought, “I wouldn’t mind being sent off to college myself right about now!” Food service provided, all activities centralized in one place (no driving required), an opportunity to immerse in study and exploration what could be better! Yes, Lord, here I am! Send me! But it is my daughter’s time to anticipate college life, not mine. She is excited, and also on the verge of overwhelmed, as she does the detailed work of filing out application forms, writing essays, soliciting letters of recommendation, and completing yet more standardized testing. She has her eye on several wonderful places, none of which are in California. My job now is to prepare myself for living at considerable distance from my precious first born. Of course, I can look forward to some fun future visits to...Vermont? Ohio? Minnesota? Just as I am happy to see and share her enthusiasm, I have likewise been saddened with and for those of you who have recently been "sent" or "called" into difficult situations. I have seen you providing support for dear friends upon the loss of a loved one, as you yourself struggled with your own grief. I know that some of you have recently been through lengthy periods of unemployment, or have jobs which require every ounce of grace and strength you can muster. Some of you are facing significant, even frightening, health challenges. Some have had to give blessing and assistance to family or friends who are moving away. Life is full of twists and turns, some glad, and many we would rather avoid if we could. Sometimes, when God sends us into new situations, we can respond eagerly. Other times, we wrestle with questions of ‘how’ or ‘why.’ The only constant is that God is with us, wherever we go, giving us courage, wisdom, and peace as the situation requires. For this we can be thankful, as it is the presence of God which helps us to celebrate the wonderful opportunities that come to some, be a faithful companion through the trials of others, and walk our own pathway through both sunny meadows and shadowed valleys. God has given us a tremendous gift in giving us each other, and so we continue to remember one another in thought and prayer, through every celebration, milestone, and ordinary day of our lives. Happy Thanksgiving! Pastor April |
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