The back hoes continued their work today. The Centre, left standing in the fire, has been leveled, and hauled away. Everything salvagable was pulled out yesterday and today the crew from Moffats' (a local company) worked hard and have the Centre down to the bare cement foundation. Tomorrow they try to remove the concrete and the foundation and get to work on the sanctuary portion of the site.
Today we got back to the mundane ... I took my gowns and stoles to the cleaners along with a handmade banner that was hanging in the Centre through the fire. The clothing just stinks of smoke, the banner has some discolouration. The cleaners wouldn't make any promises, but in conversation with Elgin (my predecessor) who designed the banner, and Gladys, who made it, we felt that it will help to add to the lineage of the banner, not take away from it.
Such is the journey back ... we take our little steps and give thanks for the small achievements as they come, and all the rest we give back to God ...
The one highlight for me actually came yesterday, but eased my load in preparing for a memorial service today. I went into the office in the afternoon yesterday saying the prayer: "Dear God, I haven't asked for much, but today I need three things ... I need the service for Mrs-------, who had predeceased her husband a couple of years ago ... I need my resource files for memorials, ... and I need the books I use for funerals ..."
I stepped into the office and began sorting through the hodge-podge of boxes that are piled around the the office in NO PARTICULAR order ... and unbelievably found them ... It made today's task easier ...
Tonight I realized that I Have had some of my prayers of late answered ... On the Sunday of the fire I said the simple prayer - "Please God, let the offices be spared ..." My concern was for the historical records and documents that I knew where there ... Thankfully, and remarkably, the offices WERE spared.
Yesterday I offered the selfish prayer for some pieces of paper and somehow I found them ... Tonight's prayer is for the crew that are clearing the debris ... "If it is meant to be, I hope that we will be able to find some of the memorial and dedication plaques, and the four missing hand bells ..." I will leave it in the hands of our God ...
Lately we've been richly blessed, so I have no desire to push it ... but it would be nice to be able to put in a place of honour, the plaques and hand bells and other items that survived the inferno - but that is entirely up to God.
Much of what has gone on, has been in the hands of God, and after the last week and a half, that's a really good place to be ...
Tomorrow will be a new day ... and tomorrow we will again put one foot in front of another and see where we end up ... the joy is in the journey ...
L'Chaim
rev. shawn
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