Sorry to post 2 times today.....just necessary.
(FACES)
Last night I went to church, as usual for Sunday nights. I usually serve on the greeting team every Sunday but have scaled back to every other Sunday for a while, mostly so that I can enjoy the worship music. Last night, we had communion. I have only ever helped serve communion one other time, and that time, for some reason, we passed the elements down the aisles/pews. That time, it was a task, a process, a motion. Nothing spectacular. Last night was quite different. Instead of passing the elements, we stood at the front, while the people in the congregation stood and walked up to take the bread and the wine. I was holding a plate of the bread wafers. Probably 100 people took a wafer from my tray. Many of them looked me in the eyes, while some did not. It didn't matter. All I saw were faces. Faces, faces, faces.
The faces of God. As I stood there, I was choking back tears. I loved every face. Some of those faces were of young 20-somethings with piercings and tattoos. Some faces were distinguished and proper. Some were sweet and tender. Beauty, beauty and more beauty. I had to fight back the urge to tell each person "I love you" as they took a wafer. Wow, can you imagine how Christ feels when He watches us remember him, and take part in His communion? If little ole me was moved to tears and bursts of love, could we even being to imagine His joy? I was so honored to hold that tray last night. I was so honored to be there and to be on that end of the communion line. What a joy to see His face in so many people.
(SPACES)
I went to a funeral today. An amazing woman with a true, genuine, authentic heart for Christ passed on to begin her eternity, outside of our realm. Her body no longer occupies space here on this earth, but her spirit remains and her legacy lives. I didn't know her well enough to tell her story, but I can tell you this. Her name was Melissa Schuler. She was 46. She died of aggressive cancer, and leaves behind her 19 year old son, Thomas, and her husband of 5 years, Lance. From the time she was diagnosed, a little over a year ago, I never saw her do anything but serve. She could have spent her last year being selfish, but she spent it being self-less. She was unbelievable.
Even though we all know what death is, something about it is incredibly wild to try and intellectualize. I have some great friends that I haven't seen in a long time...Tracy in Austin...haven't seen in probably 5 years....but she occupies space, somewhere in TX. She is matter. She is tangible and real. She takes up space, at all times. I haven't seen my dad in 2 years, but likewise, he takes up space. He exists. There are people I have never met, that have impacted me (authors, bloggers, newsmakers)....people I've never seen with my own eyes, but I know they are matter and they occupy a space. Death elminates our space. It's like.....poof. I don't know a smart way to say it, so I'll repeat......"poof". It ends people. It really does. Maybe today, maybe in 60 more years, but it ends here on this earth......and then we either take up residence with the one and only God of the Universe, or not. These living, breathing moments that we occupy space need to matter.
Do you occupy meaningful space or wasted space? (don't answer that, its rhetorical...but THINK about it!)
This boy to the left has a name that sounds like "Tin-tone-in". He was the saddest and skinniest boy I have ever seen. He was rescued from the wild, but his siblings were not. He is worried about that. He does not speak English. He is the one who would come and either sit or stand next to me and put one arm around me, prompting me for hugs and kisses. This photo is a rare smile. I am also pictured with him above.
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