May 14th - May 21st: The Week I Became A Pastor's Wife

Yes, you read that right, a Pastor's wife...

Hello dear friends! This week has truly been a whirlwind of a week! This past Sunday marked the culmination of what has been a years-long journey for Eric and myself, as our family, friends, mentors, and congregants joined us to celebrate Eric’s ordination as a Baptist preacher. Those of you who’ve known me for a long time may have read, and then re-read, the title of this week’s post and gasped in surprise. I assure you, you are not alone…I did as well! The title of Pastor’s wife was not something I had ever imagined I would find myself using, but I am both greatly honored and humbled to do so. The journey to this point has been a long, strange one indeed! For reasons I won’t get into here, both Eric and I have had what would best be referred to as a strained relationship with the

Church, but as they say “God works in mysterious ways”, and Sunday’s ceremony was a testament to that! Through the power of prayer, the love of family and friends, and the guidance of extremely knowledgeable (and patient) mentors, Eric has realized his calling of becoming a pastor and I am blessed and honored to be by his side.

For me, the celebration was made even more special because it was shared with family we don’t often see as they live far away. While some were unable to attend and were greatly missed, and others only able to stay a short time, their presence made an already special day even more momentous. I know both Eric’s and my hearts were lifted because we were able to spend time with those we see far too little of. There’s just something about seeing a distant loved one face to face that makes the time spent together so much more meaningful.

Spending time with family is something we tend to take for granted, or even at times see as an imposition or annoyance, but to me time spent with family is precious. As a child I was the middle of nine grandchildren on my mother’s side of the family, and we spent most of our childhood years living in the same area so family gatherings were a common and frequent occurrence. As we grew older, life did what it does and went on, and so did we. We’ve all relocated to various parts of the country, had families of our own, and some of us have even experienced the joy of welcoming a grandchild into our little families. Eric and I have been blessed with a granddaughter who will soon be turning three years old, and being able to spend time with her brings us such joy and amusement. The amount of love, energy, and silliness packed into her little body is nothing short of astonishing! The world is such a wondrous place viewed through the eyes of a child…I must admit I find myself being a tiny bit envious of her ability to see the world so innocently. The way she relates to the world is so heartwarming, endearing, and at times extremely funny, as we were privileged to witness when she was asked where her ankle was and her response was an extremely serious “don’t you worry about my ankle, it’s right here by my elbow!”…I still giggle when I think of that serious little voice coming from the back seat of the truck!

While Sunday was what can only be described as one of those life-altering events, there were also many little things, and even some lessons learned, this week that have definitely made my day better, and my heart feel lighter. From coming to a stop sign, and upon looking to my right to check for oncoming traffic, being greeted by the sight of a giant teddy bear sitting in a beach chair under a rainbow-colored umbrella, to watching a pair of confused calves try to figure out what that oddly shaped creature is in their pasture (because it certainly isn’t their momma!), or learning that apparently some dogs find the trimmings of horses’ hooves to be a tasty treat, it has been a momentous, amusing, and wonderful week. There is no end to the joy we can find in this world if we keep our hearts, minds, and eyes open to find that one little thing and I hope you, dear friends, have been able to do so this week as well.

Blessings,

Candi 💕

Photo credit: Eric's ordination - Tammy Rose & Kay Tobias, All others - Myself