I posted this on my blog for Mom and felt that it really belonged both places. You can get to her blog by clicking on her blog from this page or you can go directly there by going to http://blog.drmary.net Thank you for reading.
With the snow coming down and the brisk air outside, I could have easily justified staying in and NOT going to church. I’m sure that God would have understood. After all, I’m getting ready for our l-o-n-g trip to Mexico, trying to catch up the office paperwork, packing food, crafts and more to make life sweet while we’re away. Even the Methodist minister, Roy Trueblood, had told me earlier this week that he didn’t expect to see me in church on Sunday, given all that I had to do.
Mother was on her way. I had sent a ride for her so that she could spend some time today with us. Maybe we could just stay in and do our nails or read to each other or …Once I saw her, I knew that I needed to take her to church. She made her hobbling way to the car and then up the steps of the church. I sighed, somehow wishing that I was still in my jammies and drinking tea in my kitchen. But, then the bells chimed outside the church and I noticed how beautiful they sang.
The service was long, but I kept Mom on track, pointing at the words for the prayers and for the songs that we were singing. The bell choir played two lovely solos and the vocal choir was keyed up, as well. When time for communion came they told me that they could bring it to Mother so she didn’t have to walk to the front. But, I know Mother, and it was important for her to make the painful effort, the effort to receive Jesus into her heart…then a dip of the bread in the juice and a crossing of herself proudly in front of the minister.
I was pressed not to tear up when I took MY communion still hanging onto her hand as she was walking away. And then we made it back to the pew. There was a woman singing a beautiful rendition of “Love Lifted Me”. To my surprise, Mother began singing along as the other parishoners walked to the front to take communion. She knew every word and EVERY word was important to her. She would sing a line, “When nothing else would do…” then she’d look over to me and say, “Listen! It REALLY did!” and then she’d continue singing…”LOVE LIFTED ME!” I cried.
Music can remind me of so many things. It can move me like nothing else, sometimes. There can be a grand sermon, a wonderful bible reading and sometimes, just sometimes…it’s the song that drives the message home to my heart. Love truly lived me, today and again, I thank God for having a moment with Mother.
We met our friends Jeanne and John Precup for lunch at the Ocean Pearl in Delta and ate too much Chinese food, as usual. It was a lovely day and that was even before the football game even STARTED!
I feel so blessed that I drug myself to church and that once there, love lifted me .