The first weekend of November, 2009 I was elected to be the Moderator-Elect for the Shenandoah District of the COB. I thought they were crazy then and I still think so. For the latter part of 2009 and 2010 I tried to watch the Moderator, Bernie Fuska do his job. Watching as I had done in years past through other Moderators as I served on the District Board. It seemed to be a position that didn't require much major work, the District even provided a "script" and all the supporting paperwork, so I felt relatively confident that everything would go fine.
In November 2010 we adopted a new Constitution and By-laws that re-created the District Board into a "Leadership Team" and having worked through the Gifts Discernment Team, we were all set to enter into a new era. I announced my Theme for my year as Moderator to be "Mission Possible" based from the book of Matthew and even had a vinyl of that scripture created for my car. Who knew? I was psyched for all the wonderful things that would happen with the new organizational plan and all the wonderful visioning that would come from it. I was SO EXCITED!!! The only gray cloud hanging around was the query set for Annual Conference in Grand Rapids. And that was far away from Shenandoah.
*BAM* *BANG* *CRACK* *BOOM* ~ At the first organizational meeting of the new Leadership Team, our District Executive Minister of 20+ years announced his retirement. Totally unexpected we all sat there kind of numb. We knew this was big stuff, but we'd manage. Right? We wanted to take an opportunity to include the whole District in this effort, so our Leadership Team Chair, (yay for Gift's Discernment), who "just happened to be" a really good administrator, began the strategy to do just that, by wrestling through the District. All those first hearings went well. We were confident. Moving forward. Then.... as the first 'real' preparations for this year's District Conference began to take shape... *BAM* *BANG* *CRACK* *BOOM* *ZING* ****OUCH***** Our Associate District Executive Minister announces she has taken another position. YE-OW and BIG OUCH!!! Joan is the heart and soul of organizing District Conference and she has been doing the work of two (ten) ~ what will we do? What will "I" do??? While this new position for Joan is top notch for her. She'll do extremely well, but ummmm.... what now?
The second set of hearings were met with "uh ohs" and not so much excitement and "let's move forward". We were all shell shocked by this "impossible" situation. Remember in the first paragraph where I said I thought they were crazy to elect me. Well, let me tell you, now I KNEW they were. All of a sudden the Administrative Assistant became the Administrator (God bless her) and she has done a fabulous job. Between the two of us and all the rest of the P&A Committee and lots of other folks, we started to put together something that "resembles" the District Conferences of the past. I am so thankful for her... and all the rest, but especially her.
So, here I am.... it's been an interesting week and I am now less than eight hours away from the opening of the 2011 Shenandoah District Conference of the Church of the Brethren. Moderator. After all the battles... after all the totally impossible scenarios... here I am.
Mission Possible? Well, I noticed that there is a new Western State Hospital being built as you come up I81 now. I may end up there yet, but at 5 a.m. this morning I woke with all kinds of ideas floating around in my head that now are floating in cyberspace in word documents and emails. How am I feeling?.....
I AM psyched for all the wonderful things that have happened and will happen in 2012 and all the wonderful visioning that WILL come from all the possibilities. I AM SO EXCITED!!! And there are no more gray clouds. And "no" I'm not on medication. I am simply a woman chosen for a job I wasn't sure I could do, but He was. In me, He is shown to be strong in my weakness. In me, He is shown as the Father because I am just a child. I serve an awesome God... a God of life from ashes, possibilities from impossibilities. Tomorrow? Sunday? Next week? Next month? Next year? BRING IT ON!!!!
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