All We Have Is Now

June 20, 2023 

Beloved,
          I feel like I’ve lived a month in the last 10 days.
          Monday through Thursday VBS was practically perfect in every way.  Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who made it happen.  Thanks to the families who entrusted us with their little ones.
          Sunday morning we had the best of surprise guests in our service, Reverend Ron Liesmann and his son, Michael.  Ron was pastor of UBC for 16 years through the 1970’s and 80’s.  I enjoyed one of those lifegiving conversations with them at lunch afterward.  Ron has been a consistent mentor and encourager to me over my entire ministry career.
          Sunday afternoon my daughter, granddaughter and I drove five hours to southeast Missouri for a terribly sad family funeral on Monday, after which we drove home Monday night.  Thanks to Elmo songs, Elmo books, Elmo toys and Elmo videos, traveling with a 21-month-old was easy-peasy.
          Tuesday I slept all morning, then spent the afternoon catching up with myself.  I got some much-neglected errands done, fetched my dog home and am still trying to get laundry folded and put away, clear evidence that I am in need of a Swedish death cleanse.
          Today, Wednesday, I am in one of my favorite spots, at my desk by an open window listening to this playlist on Spotify.  The sleeping dog has blocked my chair up to my desk, which is just as well, as I have all the business of my one little life to tend to for the next few hours.
          The past ten days and this morning reinforce for me again that I can only live in one place and in one moment at a time.  I can only be with the people I’m with at any given time, and my attention belongs to them alone.  Otherwise we are all the poorer for having missed the gift of that togetherness.  And most of all, that time is so short.  Kids grow up so fast.  All we have is now.  Right now.  Right now is the time for enjoying life, for appreciating one another, for being as alive as we can be while we are exactly that, alive and with so much to live for.  
          I’ve been around the block and up and down the driveway with the puppy since trying to write this little email, and the weather is as perfect as it gets in Bloomington in June.  Wherever this finds you, I hope you get outside as well.

~peace & prayers,
pastor annette