One Tough Sunday!

Anyone that attends the same church as I do probably already knows what this post is about. I have to say I think this past Sunday was a very hard Sunday for many people. You see, two weeks ago this past Sunday we found out that God had called our pastor to another church. This came as a big shock! What is strange though is the week before that during his sermon he said something and like I have told several people I don't remember what it even was but I remember thinking to myself that Sunday morning sitting in my pew if he was leaving. The sermon ended that day and he was still there.

Fast forward a week. Sunday, August 15th. I am sitting in my BFG (aka Sunday School Class) and got a text from my sweet friend Jen. She said if I was home for some reason and not at church to make sure I watched service online that day there was going to be a big announcement. She knew hubby was out of town but the Princess and I had actually made it to church on time! See, up until this past Sunday our church had service three different hours and she went to second service and we went to third service. I knew what it was....I texted her back and she said I was right...I went to service already knowing and sat there and listened to him make the announcement but I don't think it totally hit me that day.

Hubby and I love our pastor and his family. When hubby and I got married and I moved to a state that I really did not know anyone we went to a church on Sunday mornings but never got involved. You ask why, well, we knew that was not the church we were going to be at forever. When we built our house outside the city we found the church we call our church home. So really, this was our first church together, as a married couple that we really considered our church. Not a church we just went to but a church we are involved in. I was really glad to find a church to be involved in as I was very involved in my church back home.

When we lost Kate, our sweet pastor came to visit at the hospital. He came to our house to plan her funeral and he spoke at her funeral. Around her first birthday he sent us a card to let us know he was praying for us. We ran into him in the hall on a Wednesday night around her birthday and he stopped again and talked to us. It meant so much to both of us to have a pastor who cared enough to remember our little girl and walk through that time with us.

In 2008 when we miscarried our second little girl we came home from the hospital and there was a message on our answering machine from our pastor calling to let us know we were being prayed for and thought about. Again, we were so touched. Some of you may not know, we go to a rather large church. I believe around 6,000...someone correct me if I am wrong. Well, then the next night after our DNC our pastor called us again since he had only gotten the answering machine the day before. We were so touched again that he would take time to call and let us know that he and his wife were praying for us and thinking of us.

Fast forward...July 6, 2009, I am prepped and just waiting to be wheeled to the operating room for my C-section. Hubby's phone rings, he answers. Guess who it is. Yes, it is our pastor, who is out of town but heard that the Princess was going to be born that day and called to pray with us over the phone.

So, just from the little bit I have told you about our pastor, I could go on and on and on you can see why this is so hard. We are only one family of many in our church. Can you imagine all the stories that could be shared of what a great pastor we have.

Sunday the 22nd our pastor went in view of a call at the church he was going to. All we could hope for was they would change their mind and not vote for him:) although we knew that would not be the case we could still hope, right?

Then Sunday, August 29th had arrived. I knew it would be hard but I just did not realize how hard. As I have told several of my friends that service was almost like a funeral because we knew when he got up and spoke that would be the last time. From the moment they started the video the tears began...not just for me but for many of the people packed in the service shoulder to shoulder. We have three venues going at the same time each hour. Normally, our pastor speaks in the sanctuary which is the venue we attend and then the other two venues watch him on a screen. This Sunday was different, as he went to each venue and spoke. The sanctuary was the last venue he came in and we were the last service. From where we sit in the balcony I saw him and his sweet wife walk in and I lost it again although I am pretty sure I was not the only one.

Sunday afternoon there was a reception for them and we each waited in line to chat with them one more time before they left. I am sad. I know that God has called them to the other church. The other church is a very blessed church to be getting a wonderful pastor. We know that God has big plans for our church as well. "W" family we love you all and we will miss you so much.