Often God uses someone—or something—as an unexpected messenger.
On Wednesday morning I came into the office and started working—fast. Sunday we had forty stewardship visitors coming to pick up their packets and . . . the “packet” was mostly a figment. I walked into my assistant’s office and started ticking off the critical components we needed to put in place today. I was rushed because I was scheduled to lead the Healing Eucharist at 9:30. In other words, I had to get Judy working on some key projects before I left for an entire hour!
Cindy, our Admin Support Coordinator, was sitting in Judy’s office when I barreled in like a linebacker. She listened to my caffeinated ramble about all the things we had to get rolling in the next ten minutes and then, as I was running out the door toward the Chapel, Cindy stopped me. “Wait a minute,” she said, holding out her hand to block my hurried exit. I was a little surprised.
“Stop for a minute,” Cindy said. “Aren’t you going to do the healing service?”
“What?” I said.
“Stop for a minute. Take a breath.”
She was serious.
The breath I tried to take was a like a shallow hiccup. Pathetic. I tried again. This time some actual oxygen reached my lungs. On the third try I got a deep draught that filled my chest. I let it out, relaxed my upper body, pulled back my shoulders then took another deep breath. Cindy watched me like a coach. She smiled.
“That feels better,” I said. As I left the office, I patted her shoulder with a silent thank-you.
Pulling on my robe in preparation for the liturgy, I had to laugh. I never expected Cindy to call me out of my frenetic busyness and into a place of sanity so that I might possibly bring a spirit of calm and blessing to those who would kneel at the altar in a moment and ask me to pray for their healing.
God’s messengers often surprise us. Hold that in mind as you go about your work today.
(Thank you, Cindy.)
I need a Cindy squad.
Yeah–I know! Don’t we all.
David, it says a lot about Cindy, and you, too, that she felt comfortable giving you that real-time feedback. What a great working relationship. Very cool.
We are so grateful to all of the clergy and staff of St Luke’s Can’t even begin to experess how much it means to us, but this is a start! Blessings to all clark
Always a good idea to have a Preacher’s kid on the staff! Ginny
Yes, she knows this life and work–when we do it well and when we are just entirely too, too human.
Yes, what a gift Cindy is. Puts me in mind of the Mary and Martha story. How easy it is to do good things but do them in a state of frenzy. Jesus never appeared to be in a rush or frantic, and yet that is where I live too much of the time. Cindy needs to clone herself, because we all need that hand on our shoulder reminding us to slow down and take a deep breath. Maybe I *will* have that second cup of coffee…