Unexpected Blessings
I have spent the last 3+ years worshiping with Christians in Garmisch Germany. Since we were part of a very small Army community, there was very little in the way of options for worship. Especially if you didn't speak German.
I have to say, this helped me to grow in unexpected ways. I learned to get along with others (I know, there were some lessons from kindergartden that I had to relearn!) There was no "I'll just go to a different church" option. These were your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you were stuck with them. What a blessing that was!
There were some disadvantages, of course. Most notably,and I didn't realize how notably until I got back, was the absence of white hair. I'm 45. In Garmisch I was one of the "older ladies." EEK!
Now I'm here (California). At least for a little while. And one of my joys is the unexpected blessing of older people. The church where I worship is my mother's church. Her friends have become my friends. Well, kind of. Most of them are older than me, so it's not like we're peers. I'm in a position of listening and learning, instead of teaching.
Even though I didn't realize it until now...how I've missed this! Thank you to all of you wonderfully special spiritual mothers on the Monterey Peninsula! (Especially my own biological mother.)
I have to say, this helped me to grow in unexpected ways. I learned to get along with others (I know, there were some lessons from kindergartden that I had to relearn!) There was no "I'll just go to a different church" option. These were your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you were stuck with them. What a blessing that was!
There were some disadvantages, of course. Most notably,and I didn't realize how notably until I got back, was the absence of white hair. I'm 45. In Garmisch I was one of the "older ladies." EEK!
Now I'm here (California). At least for a little while. And one of my joys is the unexpected blessing of older people. The church where I worship is my mother's church. Her friends have become my friends. Well, kind of. Most of them are older than me, so it's not like we're peers. I'm in a position of listening and learning, instead of teaching.
Even though I didn't realize it until now...how I've missed this! Thank you to all of you wonderfully special spiritual mothers on the Monterey Peninsula! (Especially my own biological mother.)
posted by Kaye @ 5:16 PM
2 Comments:
At 10:16 PM,
Anonymous said…
Kaye, I saw plenty of white hair - in the mirror ;-). Most military chapels are short on 'elders' and long on 'youngers'. Sometimes, people rise to the occasion to fill that gap. When that doesn't happen, then we can go to literature to fill the gap - Amy Carmichael, Elizabeth Elliot, Kay Arthur - are a few of the women who filled that gap for me.
At 4:31 AM,
Renee said…
During our two years here in FL I have been blessed with many elders. I worked with our parish food pantry and the youngest there is 60yrs old and the eldest is 83... they are a great group of women and I will miss them.
I guess going to Garmisch at 42yo, I"ll be among the elders.
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