It's finally happened: vacation is over. I am now sitting at home in MY chair, watching MY tv, and blogging on MY laptop. I think we're all relieved to be home, even Patrick, back in familiar surroundings and in a familiar routine. At the same time, it's sad to see the vacation end. It wasn't the most exciting vacation ever, but it was a sweet first family vacation. We loved seeing all the family and friends, even in in familiar places, and we loved having people around to socialize with and help with taking care of Patrick. Both Matt and I got away from our jobs for a while, even if I didn't escape mine entirely for more than those two nights. Now that we're back home, I'm glad of it. I hated leaving Dallas earlier today, but as I expected, it's nice to be home.
I experienced another bittersweet ending today too, in a much different way. I was born on a Tuesday, and that following Sunday I was in church for the first time. The minister who preached the first sermon I ever heard is still friends with my parents. He and his wife were good friends of my parents until I was in elementary school when they moved to the Dallas area, taking their daughter, my best friend at the time, with them. Fast forward several years later and my parents coincidentally reunite with this family when they also move to Dallas. My mom ended up getting a job with the minister's wife, and the families rekindled the old friendship. They are now best friends. The minister stayed at the church where he moved so many years ago, and my parents joined that church. Today at that church, I saw my father fighting tears, one of the very few times I've seen him cry, as the minister announced that he had just preached his last sermon. It was time for him to move on to other things, primarily in the counseling department, and he gave up preaching after a long and happy career.
I tend to notice when things come full circle (for example, I ended up marrying a man with the same last name as my first real boyfriend), and I found it fitting that this man preached the first sermon I ever heard and today I heard the last sermon he will ever give. It is without a doubt bittersweet. He leaves behind a wonderful, fruitful career, but enters into many new opportunities where he may change just as many lives, just in different ways. As this family is in transition, please keep them in your prayers. I pray that they find a new niche where they can minister to new groups of people and that my parents will find it easy to stay close friends with them, loving and supporting them through this difficult time.
I experienced another bittersweet ending today too, in a much different way. I was born on a Tuesday, and that following Sunday I was in church for the first time. The minister who preached the first sermon I ever heard is still friends with my parents. He and his wife were good friends of my parents until I was in elementary school when they moved to the Dallas area, taking their daughter, my best friend at the time, with them. Fast forward several years later and my parents coincidentally reunite with this family when they also move to Dallas. My mom ended up getting a job with the minister's wife, and the families rekindled the old friendship. They are now best friends. The minister stayed at the church where he moved so many years ago, and my parents joined that church. Today at that church, I saw my father fighting tears, one of the very few times I've seen him cry, as the minister announced that he had just preached his last sermon. It was time for him to move on to other things, primarily in the counseling department, and he gave up preaching after a long and happy career.
I tend to notice when things come full circle (for example, I ended up marrying a man with the same last name as my first real boyfriend), and I found it fitting that this man preached the first sermon I ever heard and today I heard the last sermon he will ever give. It is without a doubt bittersweet. He leaves behind a wonderful, fruitful career, but enters into many new opportunities where he may change just as many lives, just in different ways. As this family is in transition, please keep them in your prayers. I pray that they find a new niche where they can minister to new groups of people and that my parents will find it easy to stay close friends with them, loving and supporting them through this difficult time.
Labels: Feelings
2 Comments:
Glad to hear you are back home and getting back in the swing of things :) I'm sure patrick is happy to be home now!! Interesting story about the minister.. Im sure he will find his way in his new experiences.
Thanks for your beautiful tribute to Mike and Sharon. While they will be greatly missed at Garden Ridge, I know that God has plans that they can now fulfill. Thankfully our friendship is strong enough to continue in spite of not being at church together anymore.
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