December 30, 2024
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. ~ Meister Eckhart
My heart is full.
The past week has been full to overflowing. St. Paul’s Singing Christmas Tree gave a total of three amazing concerts and n the twenty-first and twenty- second with Sunday School and worship packed into the middle. Late in the evening of the twenty-second, our fifty-first wedding anniversary, we got news that Rod’s ninety-three-year-old mother, Joyce, died. While not unexpected it was still difficult coming just six months after his father died.
Two days later I led my final Christmas Eve service as the pastor. Christmas morning we drove to Maryland for Christmas dinner with Seth, Jean—Philippe, and their daughters Anne-Sophie and Marie Helene.
Saturday the whole family arrived to in Woodstock celebrate Christmas and attend my final service at St. Paul’s yesterday.
And Sunday was full, from worship, the liturgy of farewell, a celebratory luncheon and presentations from the ministry teams the church.
There were a lot of tears shed, many laughs, surprising gifts and words of appreciation.
And we leave tomorrow to travel to Mississippi for Joyce’s Celebration of Life
As you might imagine, it’s been an emotional 8 days, with joy and grief and exhaustion. And underlying all of those emotions is gratitude. Gratitude to St. Paul’s for calling (and keeping) me for five-and-a-half years. Gratitude to my family for putting up my schedule. Gratitude to the community and neighbors, and friends I’ve come to love. Gratitude to God for it all. What a gift y’all have given me.
I can’t think of a better emotion to ride into retirement.
GreatFull. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 