On April 22nd call day took place. For those of you who are unaware, call day is a time when the vicars and pastors are called to their first assignments. It is a time of excitement, anticipation, nerves and trusting in our Heavenly Father. I can remember last year vividly as I watched most of my classmates leave on their vicarage call. I am a deferred vicar, which means that I complete my three years of academic training first, then complete my vicarage (internship) assignment. It has been a long road. There have been peaks and valleys. There has been disappointment and joy. There has been temptation and deliverance. Through it all God has been forming my family for the furthering of his kingdom and we are excited to be assigned to St. Peter congregation, which happens to be our home congregation!
It is rare to have a sending congregation be the calling congregation for a vicarage assignment. God has worked through St. Peter to bring me his word and his salvation. I have been a member for the past 25 or so years. What a thrill it is to come back and serve my St. Peter family as their vicar. Of course, not everything is smooth sailing.
Elissa, my 11 year old daughter is having a difficult time accepting she has to leave her friends. She has solidified her social network and of course, just when all is well, there is a bump in the road. Saying good-bye is difficult for me too. I have made many friends in St. Louis and to be honest it is just plain hard to leave. The time goes by so fast and just when relationships start to take root, you leave. Yes, of course God is with us, for us and directing us, but that does not change the fact that it is tough to say good-bye.
I knew the day after call day, my mother, father and I would be traveling to Arkansas to put my Grandfather's ashes to rest alongside my grandmother's ashes. Yes, we would be saying good-bye for now to my grandfather, who passed away just before Christmas 2008....but what I did not know was that my one and only brother would be coming with!
I knew that our good friend from St. Peter (Sherry, the D.C.E) was supposed to come down to be there for our family on call day, but my blessed bride had something else in mind. Tuesday night, the 21st, I drove with Janet (my wife) to the airport to pick up Sherry, but to my surprise my brother was waiting for me at Lambert airport. How great is that? Unfortunately, my sister-in-law and their two daughters could not come with, but it was so special to have my brother for call day and our family trip to Arkansas. So after call day was done, just the four of us (Mother, Brother, Father and I) went to Arkansas together. I bet the four of us have not been on a trip together, just the four of us, for over twenty years. It was so special to go back to Arkansas and have closure regarding the death of grandfather and grandmother. There was no public funeral for either one of them, so this was a very special day, especially for my brother and I. I have so much love for my brother and I don't get to see him enough. The two of us had a great time telling stories about grandma and grandpa or as we sometimes like to refer to them, g-ma and g-pa.
We laughed. We remembered. We prayed. We heard from God. We also played a round of golf at the golf course he used to live on. What a great day that was. We played in howling winds, but it was not the scores that mattered. My brother of course attempted to wear a hat, but to no avail as the winds was too much. His hat did not make it past the first tee.It was the experience of getting play one last time. It was about togetherness. My Father, my brother and I were together. That is what counted.
Every stroke, every hole, every time I looked down the fairway and every putt....all I could see and hear was grandpa, encouraging my brother and I. I remember whenever we would hit a tee shot grandpa would say make the sound of a monkey and say, "You gorillas!" So many memories. As my father, my brother and I played that final round, I just could not believe my grandmother and grandfather were gone. I have pictures of them holding my daughters and I wonder where did it all go? Why so fast? I want to spend more time with them. I miss them a lot!
Then again, they lived a long life and we have so many memories of being together. I thank my Father in Heaven for the time we did have. Thanks so much for the time Lord. I know it is short. Teach me to number my days. Teach me to make them all count. Time is short. Here today and gone tomorrow. Like dust in the wind. There is no coming back or going back. Once tomorrow is here, today is gone.
Father, thank you so much for my brother. Thanks for my parents. Thank you for my bride who lives outside of herself and has a giant servant heart. Thank you for my precious children, please guard them and continue to form them for you. The love that holds us together is your love. Your love never ends. Thanks for sending my family back home to serve your people. Keep us close to you. Keep us focused on your cross. Thanks for my St. Peter family. Thank you Pastor Hudak and Pastor Cate. Thank you for the journey. I can't wait to see the next moment you have planned. Amen.
