Monday, June 18, 2012

Different Place

I am in such a different place! I mean I'm still physically here, in Rogers, but I feel like I've been moved to a high plane or something. It's good, sad, life giving, exciting and strange all wrapped up into one. The only thing I know to call it is different. 


I remember when the end of the spiritual exercise class came, I was in a place like this. It's big and spacious with a nice breeze blowing through your hair. It's like when you go on a two week vacation and about day 6 you get that your on vacation and you start to really enjoy your time instead of running from place to place. I imagine that retired people might feel this way when they get that they are retired.


So yesterday, Preacher man preached his last sermon at Central UMC to first service and he did an awesome job. One of the ladies from that service said she loves the way he preaches cuz he makes being a Christ follower, doable! 


I had a conversation with God while I was running a few weeks ago about Preacher man's last day as Preacher man at CUMC and I wanted something special for him. The SPR (Staff, Pastor, Relation) was getting him a cake and having people bring cards if they wanted to, but something special is about non-material stuff to me. So this is what God told me to do. Pray over him, lay hands on him and pray over him! Ingenious! God is so smart!


We love us some folks at first service, not to say that we don't love folks in the other services, but there something about that group. I knew that if I started this praying thing up, that they would join in. So after the last song, right before the benediction, I walked up beside Preacher man and said to the congregation, He doesn't have any idea what I'm doing. Silly man asked me if I wanted to give the benediction! I told everybody, that where I come from, when someone leaves to go on a mission, or is appointed to another place, we all gathered around them and lay hands on them and pray over them. I invited them to come and do just that and I would pray. It was the most awesome thing that I have been apart of at the church! People were crying and hugging after wards, it was just awesome! 


So it's done now, our time at CUMC. It was real, and it was fun... and now it's time to go have fun somewhere else. The one thing I leave this place is something I leave everywhere I go and that's my laughter. See, I'm real, all the time! You hurt me, I bleed. You hug me, I hug back. You cry, I cry with you. You take the time to reach out to me, to know me and my heart and I reach out to know you. Life is short people and we need to slow down and spend time with each other. To the lovely people at CUMC that did take the time, I loved laughing with you and getting to know you! I will carry you in my heart, always. You will be the people that we started with, that we talk about when we say things like "Remember that first appointment and those people?" We grew here! Now it's time to go grow somewhere else. This will always be our first church. Thanks!          

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