- by Erick Scheminske, Trinity Finance Committee Chair, from his witness during November 6, 2016 worship
So, before today, the last time I stood near the front of
this particular room and said anything anybody really wanted to hear, it was
January 8, 2000, and the only two words anybody cared to hear from me then were
“I” and “do.” And I only had to talk to
one person, not several hundred!
Thinking about that day has got me thinking about a friend
I’d like to introduce you to. My wife,
Sharon, and I met this friend around the time of our wedding and we liked her
pretty well at the time. But we really
didn’t start to get to know her until a couple of years after that, when we
accepted an invitation to celebrate Easter with her. We were so charmed, we decided to keep
scheduling get-togethers with her.
Almost immediately, she took us in as if we were family. She knew a lot of people, and introduced us
to a few of them who have now become some of our most trusted friends.
She’s been with us through some difficult times of loss,
sickness, and sadness. But she’s also
been present at some of the most joyous times of our lives – our wedding, the
baptisms of our two children (Reagan and Parker), and so many other moments of
growth and discovery.
She has challenged us in so many ways. She’s asked us to be teachers, and she’s
helped us learn how to do it effectively. She’s asked us to be leaders, and she’s given us the space to make
mistakes as we’ve grown in that capacity. She’s asked us to think about God, and about Christ, and about mission
in different ways than we did when we were younger.
She’s a mighty forgiving friend. As happens with all friendships, sometimes we
get too busy to reach out and touch base with her. In fact, over the years, we will sometimes go
for long periods without visiting with her at all (this happens mostly during
ski season). No matter what, though,
every time we see her she greets us with the same warmth and compassion as the
first day we met her.
Over the last few years, our friend has had some health
issues, and has undergone several surgeries. We tried to support her as best we could through those times, and we
rejoiced with her last year as she seemed to come through the last of those
surgeries somehow stronger, in spite of her advancing age.
Then, in June, she tripped and fell, and injured the lower
part of her body again. This has been a
tough injury for her – she’s had a much harder time than normal getting around
and welcoming her wide body of friends into her presence, and we’ve heard from
some that she doesn’t seem quite as kind as she used to.
Well, I’m happy to say that our friend is almost completely
healed, and I can tell you with certainty that she’s back to her old self! In fact, she might be even better than her
old self, and I’m excited to so see what she has in store for us next!
Our friend, Trinity, has been there for us for the entirety
of our almost 17 years of marriage, and for the entirety of both of our
children’s lives. She’s been a truly
remarkable friend to our family, just as I’m sure she’s been a friend to each
and every person in this room, even if you’re meeting her for the first time
today.
I am a better person because of my friendship with
Trinity. And for that reason alone, I
consider it a great, great privilege to share a little bit of my time and
treasure with her. She’s a strong and
thriving old woman, but she depends on all of us to keep her that way.
So, as you contemplate making or renewing your commitment to
our friend, Trinity, I hope you take some time to consider how she has made a
difference your life, and how you can best make a difference in hers.
And thanks to all of you for your friendship.
