Holy Week is usually a wonderful week of reflection and devotion. The staff works to plan Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter. So we found a way to make this Holy Week a very interesting time. We still saw God’s hand moving and felt His presence…just in a little different way.
A week before Good Friday, Janie and I felt moved to keep a one year old for a mom who had relapsed. I know…my codependent, rescuer nature. Here is what that looks like in my feeble mind. I just know, somewhere, deep in my heart, that my job is to storm the castle. I always have faith that someone behind me will do the next step: build a ladder to scale the castle wall. I just knew in my heart it was right to go get that baby. I believed with everything in me that JIBC would have the family willing to “foster” this child once the dust settled. So, Janie and I welcomed this little baby into our home for 6 days. Mary Braxton and Amanda Holseberg and their kids graciously helped babysit during the day. The Lord laid it on the hearts of one of our church families to do the heavy lifting of keeping this baby for up to 6 months. I believed God could do it but I never imagined He would do it in such a wonder filled way with the absolute perfect family. Janie and I still retain grandparent rights to babysit this little girl (lol). To God be the glory.
The next Monday at 2:30 a.m. is when I received the call that there had been a horrific accident at the church involving the new bus and the old bus. I thought this was a bad joke since I knew Ed Mullis and I, after returning the patients to the Charleston Center, had parked the buses over 200 feet from each other. A young man from Mt Pleasant, according to the police report, was travelling at 112 mph and did not make it around the curve in front of the church. Tragically, he lost his life. Our prayers and thoughts continue to go out to his parents, family and friends. I was saddened and grieved by the horrible devastation of this fatal car crash. It was, by the way, the second crash in less than 2 weeks, at that curve on Maybank Highway.
Then, the Thursday of Holy Week, we passed the little baby off to her new home and her new family. The little baby was fine but I cried like a baby! She was such a little love.
Then, just in time for my burdened heart, came Good Friday’s moving worship service. I was so thankful for a powerful experience service to feed my soul. Then Saturday I had a beautiful outdoor wedding for a wonderful young couple.
It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming. I thank our Heavenly Father for our Resurrection Sunday celebration. We put out all the extra chairs we could find and fit in the worship center and still had people standing upstairs and down. We worshiped in Spirit and truth, baptized 5 and heard the Word of the conquering power of Jesus. The day ended with driving Luz Y Verdad’s van to pick up the patients from the Charleston Center for Celebrate Recovery.
Yep…it has been an interesting week. I am hoping for a chance for us all to catch our breath and then carry on. See you Sunday, good Lord willing.
Pastor Tom
