In the best way possible, one feels very small standing in the nave of a 13thCentury cathedral. The massive, 800-year-old stone columns soaring symmetrically upward, virtually untouched by the passing of years, speak of the power and majesty of the Creator for Whom they were constructed, the Creator Who invites His children into that holy space. There is a comforting sense of shalom, a stilling calm, a rightness in being there, like a little child snuggled into a love-charged embrace on the welcoming lap of a doting grandparent. It’s an experience that imprints on the soul, carves a lasting memory, one that continues to bless, to refresh, at each recalling.
As the decades of my life accumulate, so too do those special moments, bringing comfort, peace and, yes, sometimes tears of gratitude. Many are of no explainable significance, just quiet, heartwarming kindnesses from God’s hand and extended through family and friends, and sometimes, total strangers. I’ve learned how these can soothe and heal and restore ordered thinking when the world’s chaos threatens my blood pressure and my sleep. I’ve observed how the lack of these special moments can leave one vulnerable and whiplashed by that ever-present chaos and its various impacts.
It’s funny how I tend to think of my life as a constant, an etched-in-stone story rather than recognizing it as a permanently developing series of days, months, and years, obediences and disobediences, joys and hardships. Funnier still, perhaps, to not be mindful that God never slumbers or sleeps, is always watching over me, intervening on my behalf, even when I’m least aware. The chapters and seasons of my life, when I pause long enough to take a good look in the rearview mirror, are chock-a-block with the imprint of His guiding, redirecting hand (for years, I would spout the mantra: ‘I’ll never be a pastor; I’ll never be a missionary’ – as if repeating it often enough would make it so. Well, seven years as a missionary and now 30+ years as a pastor is a record that speaks for itself).
We all have a story to tell. They are stories as individual as each one of us. When viewed through the lens of Scripture, taking into account the truth of who we are and Whose we are, our stories shine a bright light revealing the Master’s loving, forever Plan ‘A’ for us. Looking forward to seeing all you beautiful stories-in-progress tomorrow 10 AM, 4 PM FR. PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.