This morning I got to attend worship at a
different church. A rare treat for me, being a pastors spouse we don't get to travel much on Sunday's. T was speaking to the congregation there about his trip to Puerto Rico this past summer, along with several other youth. While they were practing before worship I sat on a bench in the church courtyard and waited.

A lady came and sat next to me and we started chatting about the beans she had made for the lunch after worship, her plan to study her absentee ballot for the upcoming election. Her friends slowly began arriving to church and joined us. It was a peaceful time for me, just to sit and listen. They invited me to stay for lunch.

Then, my friend Pat walked over and greeted me with a big hug and said how are you? How are things at your church..fine I answered. Just fine, we love where we are. We're blessed by our church family. Then she asked again, No, really, HOW ARE YOU? Her husband is a retired pastor, she knows. She knew that was my standard answer. The pastor spouse speak for it's all good, everything is awesome. It's not..it never is. I was able to share with her in confidence how things really are, the struggles, the frustrations, the things that were really on my heart. She of course got it, had been there, knew what challenges lie ahead for us. She promised to pray for me, and told me a very funny story to lift my spirits. Then it was time to go inside for worship, but in reality my worship had already begun. It began on that simple bench in the church courtyard