Friday, August 17, 2018
Dear Friends,
This week had one of those moments when I felt remarkably less alone… that is, less alone in panicking about the quick approach of fall and fall programs. I know that sounds rather dramatic, but it always seems to be about this time of August that, even in the heat and humidity, I have the sudden realization that summer will soon come to a close. I’m never ready for that, and I never feel quite ready for fall’s launch. The feeling-less-alone part came in the form of an email from a colleague, who described the same feeling, settling in on her through this week – and while it doesn’t necessarily help me get through the to-do list any faster, it does reassure me that time slips by too quickly for most, if not all.
All that said, there are still so many seasonal milestones for us to share at Trinity. Of course this Saturday, there’s our annual Pork BBQ, complete with corn and peaches. August wouldn’t be the same without it. And then there’s the annual mail-out of welcome letters to our children and youth and their parents… with the happy reminder that we’ll be back in full swing come September 9. Mark your calendars for our Blessing of the Backpacks, and Communion, and an always joyous (slightly silly) launch into fall. This end-of-summer, we’re also doing some extra prep and welcome work for our Student Minister, Scott Beckett, who will covenant with us that first Sunday of the school year. To that end, our property crew has been working extra hard to get Scott’s office ready, renovating in the truest sense and making a wonderful new space for him to work and learn – and for that, we’re extra grateful.
I suppose for all of the above, most if not all of us wouldn’t mind a little more time to do what we’d like to do. I’ve been feeling that quite keenly this summer, wanting to stretch time; or maybe turn back time. As a daughter, I’m too aware of how fast things change. As a mother, that’s equally true. As you may know (ad nauseam), our household is in the midst of prepping and packing with our eldest, as this time next week we’ll be en route to Montreal and his new adventure at McGill (Schulich School of Music). As many of you have lived and learned already, it’s promising to change our household dynamic – and I’m trying not to say too often, or at least too often out loud, how much my heart is struggling to accept that it’s time.
So what’s a minister, a mother, a middle-aged follower of Jesus to do? Maybe it’s time for me to stop fighting time; or wrestling with it, or lamenting it, or whatever it is I’m doing. Maybe it’s a far better use of my time to live into the time that we have, in all the mixed emotions that it may bring. Simplistic as that may sound, it may be the only timeless choice of this ever-unfolding journey… that, and choosing to remember that God is on the journey with us. Loving us, surrounding us, cheering for us, weeping with us, and holding the light of life before us, God is on this incredible journey with us. For that, I’m extra grateful.
With love to you all,
Heather
”Buy the ticket, take the ride…” (Hunter S. Thompson)