Now, This is Church…

Cindy

Dear DW, 

I had to write and tell you about two beautiful ladies who have made my life in ministry so much easier.  It all started one summer when I was pregnant with my third child.  My husband was going to be away from home for five weeks doing camps and conferences with our church youth ministries.  I didn’t know how in the world I was going to make it through the summer without him helping me with the kids.  On the first day of the first trip, my doorbell rang.  It was two ladies from church, Cindy and Melinda.  I knew them pretty well.  They were both youth parents and both had volunteered in the youth ministry off and on.  But I had only had church-y kinds of conversations with them in the past.  We were “church” friends.  They were both about 12 years older than me.   

They told me that they had come over to visit which I thought was odd since this had never happened before but I went with it.  I invited them in and told them that they could stay if they could stand the mess!  At first, we sat in the living room chatting casually and then one of my children started to wander off.  Cindy hopped up and insisted that she would go check on what he was doing.  Melinda kept talking to me.  A while later, I wondered where Cindy had disappeared to and when I looked up, I saw her in my kitchen… doing my dishes!  When I ran over and protested, one of my children said they had to go to the bathroom.  I left her with one last chiding (which she ignored) and hurried to the bathroom with my son.  When I came out of the bathroom, Melinda was in my living room with the vacuum cleaner!  She acted like she couldn’t hear me talking until the whole room was done.  And then it was over.  They quickly said their goodbyes and left me stunned in the middle of my clean house.   

Melinda

Through the years, these ladies continued to show up in my greatest times of need without me ever having to ask.  They have helped me raise my children.  They became my mentors in motherhood and taught me by example how to raise great teenagers.  I have watched them navigate the marriages of their own children and their graceful ascent into becoming  in-laws and grandparents.  I want to be just like them when I grow up.   And who knew that this lifetime of blessing would come from one email.  My husband confessed at the end of that summer that he had sent out an email to all of his youth workers to please check on me while he was gone at camp over the summer.  Melinda and Cindy took him up on the offer and changed my life in ministry forever.

Thank you for letting my share my story,

 Blessed Beyond Measure

 

Dear Blessed Beyond Measure, 

When I stop crying, I’ll respond.   

Love,

DW

 

 

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