Sunday Thoughts

Happy Sunday! It's been a really good but really emotional day. This morning, after taking Sadie and Gnarlie for a walk, J's mom and I drove down to Evergreen, CO to attend church at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen. We had arranged to meet the pastor today to talk about wedding stuff and also wanted to hear him speak--a wedding officiant test drive, if you will. What I didn't expect was that I would start crying fifteen minutes into the service when the choir began to sing. I just totally lost it--at that moment, I missed J so much and for some reason, it all came flooding out. I held it together for a little while, but then J's mom gave me a hug and I started to cry again and then she started to cry because I was crying. And then I started crying again later during one of the prayers and the final hymn. We were just one big maudlin mess. I wonder what the rest of the congregation thought of the two weepy strangers sitting in the back row. Well, I guess they didn't view us as strangers, seeing as how they asked any new people to stand up and introduce themselves.

This may well have been the friendliest congregation I've ever met. That's not to say that we Presbyterians aren't a friendly bunch, but the members of UMCE were the warmest, most welcoming people--people who rushed over to introduce themselves during and after the service, people who offered friendship and fellowship and assistance to two newcomers, people who seemed genuinely happy that we had joined them that morning. Warmed my heart. Both the sermon and the service as a whole were great, and I fell in love with the community. I really wish that I could attend weekly services there, but it's kind of difficult when I live 30 miles away and don't have a car. Anyway, J's mom and I sat and talked with the pastor for awhile after the service, and we liked him a lot. I'm excited that he'll be officiating J's and my wedding.

This past Friday was Veterans Day, and these holidays/days of remembrance mean much more to me now. Being a civilian, I don't pretend to understand fully what the men and women of our military go through, but I do have a better grasp of the sacrifices they make--not just the dangers of deployment but the years of hardship and long hours and loneliness that many of them endure. So a belated thank you to all.