Things To Which I Cling Tightly

Things to which I cling tightly:

The love of God which surrounds me; the forgiveness of Jesus who befriends me; the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides me; the love of a woman who knows my foibles and stays with me anyway; the gift of three sons who, in spite of the challenges of growing up as 'preacher's kids', still regularly pick up the phone and say, "Hi, Dad, how are you?" and wait to hear... what I say because it matters to them; the adoration of three granddaughters who know that all they have to do is look at me and say, "Papa, I love you!" and they will get anything they want, yet embrace me with kisses not wanting anything more than kisses and love in return; the steady friendship of those who know me as 'Don' and require nothing more than me being me; the wonder of the gift of a call from God that carries me in every moment; the ecstasy of the Church striving mightily and humbly in serving God; the joy of the St. Paul UCC, Lebanon, faith family who tend to my spirit and ministry with arms of grace beyond my deserving; the blessing of Grace UCC, Culver, Indiana, who saw more in me than I ever saw in myself; and, the connective tissue of Lebanon, Illinois, whose communal understanding crosses every boundary with such completeness that even a stranger such as I find a home and place in the midst of daily life and service here.

Such are the things to which I cling tightly this day. How about you?