Surprising Sunday

I cried today. It kind of surprised me. In fact a lot about this morning surprised me. It started off like any other Sunday. The first clue that things were different was when I was called to the front during the announcements. Ohhhh yeah, my birthday, I smiled and prepared for a nice card and perhaps a potted plant. But what they had for me totally stunned me. Blew me away and caused the tears to run.

I stood there and tried to make sense of the words and found myself just standing there with my mouth hanging open. But when the reality began to sink in, the tears began. My church, my wonderful fabulous church bought me a pellet stove.

For some people that would not mean much, but I live in a little farm cottage without central heating. The heat I have is from a very old pellet stove. Every morning I get up to a cold house. I vacuum out the pellet stove, scrub the front and build a fire. That fire heats the house during the day. If it gets too hot, I open the windows, if it is cold I try to build a bigger fire. The last thing I do at night is turn the stove out, so I can begin the whole process all over again the next day. I have to admit that it has been a hard process and I work very hard to not hate it.

The new stove is run on a thermostat, has a self starter and a battery backup that will keep it running when the electricity goes off. (Notice I said when not if) The church will even install it for me. The more the read about this wonder stove, the more I cried.

I am so amazed that the church would do such a loving extravagant thing for me. I feel unworthy of such kindness. But I am soooooo appreciative. So tonight I rejoice at the extravagant, loving kindness of God’s people. It is a reminder that God loves me even more than that. And that is something I can live with.

“neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

Just Connie