A Promise Kept (On A Busy Day)

If I hadn't honored my commitment to my kids it might never have happened.

Yesterday. Friday. The desk was a mess, the immediate "next step" on the task list unclear. My mind a jumble, I heard Kristen yell upstairs that my lunch was ready to take to the school for lunch with my kids in the cafeteria. I would have to run errands after that, and we had to leave by 3:00 for a photo shoot.

Could I skip today?

Glad I didn't. Bradley's teacher told me he talked about it all morning--about how Dad had been in Seattle LAST fwiday, but was NOT in Seattle this Fwiday and would be coming to lunch like he ALWAYS likes to do on Fwiday. (his teacher likes his accent as much as I do, apparently.)

One hour, and two lunches (the fourth grade daugher at 11:05 and the first-grade son at 11:40) later, I was off to Target and then to the bank. Just a check to deposit; shouldn't take long.

The Teller was one I had never met before, named Lisa. "Why do you have two checking accounts?"

"One is for our rental."

"Did you know our Business checking is now free--just like regular checking?"

"How long will it take to make the change?"

"Minutes."

Sitting there between the customer service reps, I wondered, Will it be Anne? I have been praying for Anne. It was Anne.

To make a long story...even longer, the conversation with Anne went from business checking...to how I wound up with a rental...to how our "renter demographic" are usually divorced women and their kids starting over. Then it went from there to when Anne took her son and left her "ex" and was that "renter demographic" and had, in fact, rented a townhouse for a while...to how we all have a checkered past full of mistakes...to some of MY collosal missteps. Before I knew it, it was about her religious upbringing and how she left that behind at 15. Right before she went up to the counter to transfer my funds, she said, "anyway, one day I will look for a church."

When she came back, I said, "Anne, I should warn you: Telling a guy like me that you might look for a church one day is like offering cake to a starving dieter."

The conversation went well from there. I was able to tell Anne how her input in a new church would help shape it--that she would be one we would rely upon--who keeps us honest in making the church work for people who had not been in church for a long while--if ever. I left with permission to send Anne some information, and to talk with her more about our church.

Leaving the desk--and even the time on my knees--for a while turned into a "God-Moment;" as in my best-yet conversation with one of those people "out there" for whom I am praying and with whom I am developing a relationship.

Only God could accomplish that.

Praise God for my kids, and the promises I have made, and the power of Christ to keep them.