Thanks for the memories

It has been too long since I have written last and I don't know where to start.
Tomorrow Chuck and I will pick up Caroline's brother Will at the airport and meet Audrey and Caroline at a cottage in Hocking Hills to spend three days.
Marnie and Kacey and families will join us on Thursday. Our thanksgiving will be on Friday. I look forward to all of it.

I want to just write for the record about the wonderful blessing of having Audrey come to Columbus a week ago. She was invited to speak at the chapel at Methodist Theolocal School in Ohio during their "Silent No More" series of conversations about LGBTI issues. Her sermon was entitled "Become You." She told her story of coming out - first to herself and then to the world.

We picked her up at the airport on Monday night and she was putting the finishing touches on her talk Tuesday morning and read it to me ahead of time. It was a good thing, because we both ended up in tears. I think back to how little I knew of the struggle that she was experiencing in high and college and have nothing but admiration for Audrey and her courage and her faith.

When we got to the seminary I was aware of the many emotions that I carry since this was "my" seminary. It truly was a time and place of transformation for me 25 years ago and to watch my daughter speak there was a rare and beautiful gift.

Audrey came out to me 7 years ago and I immediately went profound grief at the time. My fear was that her life as a pastor in the church was going to be very difficult and that has proved true. She has now served two churches on staff (one in which she was in the closet) and knows that finding a senior/ sole pastoral position will be challenging.

However, this summer when I was with her at General Assembly, I found that I was her sidekick as "Audrey's Mom" because she knows more people than I do in the denomination and some of it is because of her work as an activist in the LGBTI community. God is surely using her gifts in different ways than I imagined when she was ordained.

So, as I look forward to thanksgiving - I have nothing but gratitude for the events of this past month. And I keep learning that God truly is working in mysterious ways in my life and the life of my children and grandchildren.

One last blessing of her visit was going watching Marnie, Erik and Audrey run a half marathon. I am so proud of all of them for their grit and determination - but especially Marnie who did not give up! So often she is the one who makes things happen - finds the races and invites people to participate! It was great fun to support her!

God is good! All the Time!