Yesterday was our last Sunday at Brushwood UMC, where I have attended my entire life and Wayne has attended since he was a teenager. In fact, we met in the high school Sunday School class taught by Alice Tomlinson. I remember walking into the class--I was a freshman--and seeing Wayne there -- a senior.

And the first thing I heard him say?

Something to the effect that he had two different dates set up for the same night.

But it didn't take him too long to ditch those others (if they reaaaallllyyyy existed, ha.) and within a year we were dating.

Yesterday, I just lived in the moment. I enjoyed every jammin' song the worship team played, enjoyed seeing so many people there, enjoyed the words of both Rev. Kate Walker (Associate DS) and Pastor Darren, enjoyed the food and fellowship. Although I didn't cry, I did appreciate the tears of others.

Wayne, though, was more reflective. I asked him why he seemed a little emotional when reading and discussing his favorite scripture during the service when he hadn't been the emotional one through this period of transition. He said, "I realized it was the last worship service there. It was the last time I'll hear Darren preach...."

Notice, he didn't say it was the last meal we'd eat there. (We plan to be at the Chicken and Noodle Dinner in November!) :)

As he continued to reflect, I did a mental scan of our years there...and although the idea of separation is still a little tender, there really is one predominant theme.

God had us doing tons of ministry, whether youth group, Sunday School, music, Trough, Vacation Bible School, Angel Food, special needs adults, Family Fun Night, administrative committees, public relations, for one purpose: to send us on this next leg of our journey already (somewhat) prepared. We've been through the best of all possible times, and we've been through the worst. God's not planning to waste those experiences on memory. He's going to use those experiences to guide us in coloring a new canvas.