Sometimes I find my call just strange and I stand back and laugh just a little when I think about what I do and how funny God is. I am amazed more often than not that God chooses to work in and through humans, I fear how often I fall short of where I could be, and yet God faithfully comes back and says "if your willing I'd love to work through you, my beloved child."
Recently I was asked to serve on an all male (other than myself) chaplain team for our local police, ambulance, fire departments. At first I'll be honest, I wanted to run, run far far away from this. I wanted nothing to do about it, but something inside of me, deep inside of me kept poking at me saying "you can do this, you'll be fine, I am with you, I have called you by name." So I agreed. I was told sometimes it is months between times we are called, sometimes it is several times in a week, I smiled and I think deep down I hoped I wouldn't be called. Shortly after returning from vacation and continuing ed, I got a call.
I am humbled by the places that I am invited into people's lives. I am humbled by the way God works when I have no words, in tragedy and what I consider the unexplained I have no words, I trust God who moves and speaks despite of me. I am humbled to have been called, I am honored to be a part of this team. I am honored to serve beyond the walls of the church and to the wider community.
Thanks be to God who works despite my shortcomings. Thanks be to God for people who can name my gifts and talents and challenge me to use them. Thanks be to God for emergency personal who work diligently in the midst of ridiculously hard circumstances. Thanks be to God who is always present and sheds the first tear when one of God's own hurts.
Christmas has come and gone. Christmas has happened and it was WONDERFUL. If I could only give my description of Christmas one word I would say: Family. And then of course Lucy Lucy Lucy. My grandparents, Lucy's great grandparents even made the long drive up to spend Christmas with Lucy (and the rest of us, but really Lucy). I wish I could adequately capture the love that everyone has for the sweet girl. And SHE LOVED Christmas or really she loved playing with the paper, being held by everyone, blowing spit bubbles, talking with everyone, and being in the midst of the action. It was indeed an outstanding Christmas. 
