We have lived in Traverse City for ten years—our longest tenure in one place our entire lives. Our church building expansion has finally gotten well underway. The process has generated frustration and joy, especially with the volunteers who show up to work in the snow and wind to make our do-it-ourselves project happen. We have expanded our staff as well. When we open the new building, task forces (one of which Linda heads) will create two major new ministry programs with grants we have received. God appears to have more work for us to do.
Dan has somehow become a senior. He has applied to several colleges and must make his big decision in the next couple of months. He had an excellent cross country season. He made all conference, all region, and academic all state. He’s crossing the finish line in the yellow singlet in the picture below. He directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream at school, and continues to write poetry and to sing. Last winter he played Grantiere in Les Miserables, the role of the inebriated cynic among the students at the barricade. This means our children have now portrayed a prostitute, a gang member, a witch, a petty nabob, a slimy salesman and a drunk. Oh--and a toad. Imagine our pride.
Laura was a fairy. Actually Laura sort of is a fairy, but she also played one in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, as shown in the picture below. Now 20, she is a junior at the University of Michigan, where she studies choral music education. She joined our church youth mission trip last summer. We returned to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where we continued to help victims rebuild in the considerable wake of Hurricane Katrina. She, too, faces a number of decisions. Linda and I continue to thank God for Laura’s sensible maturity. Watching your children step out into the world is a mixed blessing.
Our nest will empty in a few months. Linda’s client base has outgrown her time. She and I face interesting questions: How much does God ask? How much money do we really need? What kinds of stuff do we want to keep in this over-stuffed house? When I entered the ministry I did not suspect we would ever face these quintessentially American “problems”. But we do, and though they are nice problems to have, we find ourselves trying to imagine how to live into the next phase of our lives. God’s plan will unfold as it always has; for now we hope to live it faithfully, while at the same time finding peace in our hearts.
We don’t ask for much, do we? But why not? The promises our faith makes fill us with hope. May Christmas help you (re)discover the truth of those promises. Blessings to you all in this season, and throughout the year to come.
