Ramblings

I had no idea it had been a week since I've posted. Geesh, I've become a slacker! It HAS been a busy week - lots of church members in the hospital and even more people walking into my office needing to talk. To tell you the truth, I can't remember the last time my office time was so full. One day I was meeting with someone who wanted to plan his own funeral (and I really respect those who want to have everything together ahead of time. He is nowhere near death as far as I can see, but it's still a very heavy subject!) While he was there, another person who had visited the church wanted to talk. She's living with her son because she had become homeless as a FL real estate agent. The market is that stale right now. But she also talked a lot about her own faith and what she believed was a call into ministry. I appreciated her openness with me and her trust. Later in the week I spoke with a parent of a very sick child and calmed her fears and worries. Our children's program started and was pure chaos. Then a church member threatened to leave the church if something couldn't be worked out. By the time she and I met the next day, she had calmed down and just wanted to sit and listen for God in her life. Our conversation was peaceful after what had been a really intense anger from her. Problem after problem after problem. But you know what really troubled me was that this woman said to me that she couldn't read me -- that I was closed in some way. And I've been thinking about what it could be . . . why she would feel that. I feel I'm pretty transparent most of the time, but maybe I'm not with my own congregation. There's a part of me that tries to keep my own life separate from the needs and concerns of my congregation. It's one of those 'boundary' things -- as muct as I'm immersed in their lives, I need people outside the church to be my confidants, to be my friends. I'm wondering if perhaps I need to be more transparent with them. Most people open up to me easily (as seen by this week's fullness) but I'm starting to wonder where the line is or where it should be drawn.

I'd appreciate your responses for this Arbuckle Creek dweller. I think I'm going to head into town where the Books A Million is scheduled to open any day now! Peace.