Reflections on Our Blessings

In the Prayer Book on page 836 is the General Thanksgiving, one of the most beautiful expressions of thanks. One of the passages in this is "We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side."

I'm sitting here this morning, enjoying my coffee and reflecting on that very blessing. We had our church fundraiser and talent show last night, and I realized how truly fortunate we all are in this parish to be literally surrounded by such loving care. The undercroft and church were packed with supportive people. Every time I turned there was a friendly face ready to chat about various aspects of life. I know everyone else experienced the same feeling while there.

Speaking personally, I was astounded to see so much hidden talent in the parish. I was able to reconnect with Becca, a friend's daughter, who we only get to see a couple of times a year. I was able to spend some serious quality time with John. I was able to watch first hand as some very brave youth took those crucial first steps in offering their musical gifts to God. And finally, I capped the night off by having a new friend save me a piece of her apple pie which was a godsend after an intense day of practicing, playing and (at the time) packing up.

Looking ahead for the rest of the weekend, I get to reconnect with Kristen's side of the family as we gather to be with her mother as she completes her lifetime pilgrimage on earth and thank God for her life.

Yes, it's a big weekend and is taking us from the extremes of joy to the lows of sorrow, but it's also a bit of a snapshot of life as a Christian pilgrim. We journey, moving from times of joy to times of sorrow, always surrounded by our companions on the journey.

Thank you God for this incredible journey!