Out of the Loop

So last Saturday, I got up early and went to my office at the church.  I had a lot of stuff I wanted to get done, and I thought this would be the perfect time to do it.

I’d been there about twenty minutes and the phone rang.  It was my mom.  Dad was being taken to the local clinic in Armour, and he was probably going to be admitted to the hospital.  So much for all the things I wanted to get done.  I got hold of Wanda, she packed some things while I got stuff organized at the office, and we headed to Armour.  I came back for Sunday services, then went back to Armour again.  We came back to Gettysburg yesterday (Wednesday) and intended to leave early this morning, but as I write this we have a snowstorm going on, so we’ll see.  We’ll get back down there when we can.

Dad was, in fact, admitted to the hospital.  As I write this Thursday morning, he is still there.  He has a variety of issues.  Things are looking better than they were, and we are hopeful, but he is a long way from out of the woods. 

Your prayers are appreciated, of course.  My purpose for writing this, though, is just to let you know that you may be seeing less of me for a while.  My time will be divided between here and Armour, and when I am here I’ll be trying to get things done so I can be gone again.  How long will this go on?  I don’t know.  It depends on how Dad does, and only God knows that.

Don’t get me wrong—unless a crisis hits I intend to be around for Sunday services, including the Sunday night services.  I will remain available for funerals and any other emergencies.  I intend to continue doing hospital visits and that sort of thing.

What I mean, though, is that you may not see me around the community very much for a while.  I may not be able to go to basketball games or concerts or Monday afternoon bowling.  We may have to put Supper with the Pastor on hold for a while.  I won’t be putting my usual nonsense on facebook, and I won’t be scrolling it much, either.  I’ll miss all of that, but it’s just the way it has to be for now.  Everyone in the parish has been very understanding so far, and I know you will continue to be.  I appreciate that more than I can say.

But that brings me to one thing you can help me with.  Because I won’t be around our communities as much, and because I won’t be scrolling facebook as much, I’m going to be out of the loop on things.  I won’t know as much about what’s going on in the community or what’s going on in people’s lives.  I still care, and I still want to know these things.  I just am not as likely to “pick them up” the way one does just by being around.  I won’t be as connected to things, and I don’t like that.

So, what you can do for me is make sure I know what’s going on, whether we’re talking about the communities or the people in them.  That includes people both in and out of the United Methodist churches.  Help me stay in the loop.  Send me an email.  Send me a text.  Send me a message over facebook.  Give me a call.  Help me stay connected to what’s going on in our communities and in the lives of the people who live in them.  I still want to be here for you as much as I can be, and if nothing else I can still pray for you.  That may be the most important thing, anyway.

This won’t be forever.  It’s just for a while.  Thanks again to all the people of the Wheatland Parish for your concern, your prayers, and your understanding.  I am very fortunate and honored to be able to serve God in such a wonderful place.