A congregation of the United Church of Canada
As you may recall, my life is currently in a self-imposed state of chaos. We are doing a large-scale renovation of our kitchen and ensuite bath. When we purchased our home almost two years ago we knew we’d need to do these renos – and now we’re in it deep. The removal of the popcorn ceilings was what pushed us over the edge. Oh, we’d done all the reading, and we’d talked to many people, and we had a very strong understanding of the process. And then we underwent the process. And we just weren’t prepared for the inches of ‘snow’ (from drywall dust), in May, inside! Let me say it this way: Intellectually, I fully understood and appreciated the fullness of what would transpire in a reno. Experientially, it’s entirely a different matter. O boy!
Then, on top of all that, I finally got some time to tackle my grass this week. I’d waited the appropriate amount of time to let the pollinators, and bees, and bugs do their springtime wakeup thing, but this week it was time to bring the resultant jungle down a few inches. So I exchanged my snow blower for my lawnmower in the back shed, and I was all geared up to mow, mow, mow.
No, no, no. My batteries were fully charged, and the ‘self-propel’ feature was working fine – but the mower? Nope. Nothing. Dead. Will not start. (Crap!) So, it’s off to the repair shop, and I’ve called a family friend with a landscaping business to come and tame the jungle.
These things have caused me stress and hardship. That is true. (My life is so hard!) But despite our trials we haven’t received any casseroles, or care calls, or Facebook prayers, or groups of people earnestly praying the best for us, or text message encouragements, or any of that usual church stuff.
Do you know why? It’s because our church members are fully engaged in offering all those faithful and wonderful supports to people who *really* need it. People dealing with loss, and surgeries, and hospitalizations, and cancer treatments, and mental health challenges, and tests, and crises, and countless other things. My renovation and yard work challenges are barely annoyances compared to all that. That stuff is big, and hard, and real. So real. So hard.
And I’m so, so, *so* grateful and chuffed by the enormous gushing of care, and compassion, and love that pours out among us when some of our church folk experience true challenge and hardship, and our other church folk move heaven and earth to be supportive in whatever ways they can manage. I suspect y’all are too busy caring, sharing, and loving to notice that you’re doing it.
So, I will endure the immense hardship of my renovation and my temperamental lawnmower – and, I will absolutely revel in the glorious expression of faith that exudes as you love one another, in all the fullness of God’s love. You are such a blessing to one another. Just as it should be. I really hope you know that. But “thank you,” regardless.