Dear Church,
I recently had a conversation with a Court Streeter who never fails to amaze me with her sunny attitude. When I ran into her at the church one morning, I asked her how she was doing, and she said, “I’m doing great! On my way into the church today, I ran into this great big mess of construction. While I was stopped,” she said, “I gave thanks to God that some of our roads are finally getting fixed!”
I confess that getting stopped for construction is usually more likely to make me grumpy than it is to cause me to give thanks. I so appreciate the ability some people have to see the good even in trying or difficult situations! Speaking of which…
You’ve probably noticed that we had a significant delay in our big excavation project. You may remember that we are planning on doing some much-needed work on the drainage pipes all around the church. The project will involve digging a deep trench around a good portion of the building, replacing lines that have long since deteriorated, allowing us to fix sinkholes, stairways, and treacherous sidewalks. You may also remember that we had hoped to begin that project at the beginning of June. Clearly, that didn’t happen!
Long story short, the excavators got hung up on another job. You can imagine how that might happen - you plan so long for a project, then you actually start digging and you discover all sorts of things going on underground that you hadn’t anticipated. The long delay was frustrating for everyone involved. This week, we are pleased to say, the excavators are free and the work is beginning!
One of our office staff workers even pointed out a silver lining in this delay: If the work had started on time, our church and roads would have been all torn up during the Crim! This weekend was a lot smoother than it otherwise might have been! Like I said, it’s always nice to be around people who see the bright side in a difficult situation.
At any rate, please be advised that the digging is about to commence! Expect to find construction equipment in the south parking lot. If possible, park on the east side of the church in the pay lot (which is free on Sunday mornings). When you come to the church and find yourself inconvenienced a bit, lift a prayer of thanks that we will no longer have sinkholes in the parking lot. And if the pastors look a bit grumpy, take a moment to help us remember the light that shines in the darkness, that the darkness could not overcome!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Jeremy