March 03, 2008
Marriage
My husband’s grandmother was, at one time, the oldest living member of Tecumseh United Methodist Church. So, when I was finally able to rolling-pin Jeff into marrying me, we made an appointment with the Pastor. (Seriously, there was a rolling pin involved.)
We were honest when questioned about our beliefs. Jeff said he didn’t believe (at the time) that you needed the Church to be pious and a disciple. His faith and prayer had carried him through a farming accident and his recovery. I said that I was raised in a Jewish home, and that although we were not particularly devout, my father had asked that our wedding ceremony not contain any reference to Jesus.
Ok. Looking back, boy was that a ridiculous request. When we had finished with our announcements, we sat there in the church office in silence. After a few moments, Reverend McKinstry shared his thoughts. As a man of GOD, with his given beliefs, he would not perform our wedding ceremony as requested.
It may seem strange to you, but we weren’t particularly upset by this turn of events. Our love was strong enough to overcome our differences. We were sure we could find someone else to marry us. That’s a whole different, and rather amusing story. You’ll probably find it under Humor one of these days.
jak
Posted by jaselin at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)
Funerals
For us there ended up being a lot of funerals to attend.
First, my father died after a long illness, then my mother-in-law passed away the same year. We received a call that Jeff’s mother was in medical trouble and was being taken by ambulance to the hospital. I went to Jeff’s grandmother’s house, while Jeff and his brother were at the hospital. The front door bell rang, and when I answered it, I found Pastor David on the other side.
He came in and sat with Nannee and me as we waited for some news on how Sally was doing. After while he said to me, “You look very familiar to me.� Where upon Nannee replied, “Oh, no. You wouldn’t know Jodi. She’s Jewish!� I recognized the recognition in his eyes. It was then that the boys and some friends showed up and gave us the sad news that Sally was in a diabetic coma and not likely to recover. I remember clearly the very strong, very long hug Pastor David gave me.
Dad, and Sally’s passing were interspersed with my younger cousin, our best friends’ step-mother and 2 friends’ fathers (3 different friends), a great aunt and a great uncle on my husband’s side, and Jeff’s grandmother’s neighbor. With the exception of my father in Florida and my cousin in Connecticut, all of the funerals were officiated by Rev. McKinstry. We just kept running in to him, and developed a casual relationship, of sorts.
My husband’s grandmother had been developing some medical problems, so for a while, she came to live with us. In the beginning it was on and off, due to her independent and stubborn nature. One night while at our house, she used the air-horn alarm Jeff had given her, to wake us up and let us know she was in trouble. After emergency surgery, and some complications, Nannee passed away in the Toledo hospital. Pastor David was there with us as soon as he could be.
jak
Posted by jaselin at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)
Losses
My father passed away without even making it to our first wedding anniversary.
After Dad passed away, my family went through some not-so-abnormal changes. We pulled away from each other a little, disagreed a lot, and dealt with our grief in very different ways.
For me, the situation only got worse when my mother-in-law died 5 months later.
Two years later, my husband’s grandmother, who had been living with us, passed away.
It was then, we received a call from a very nice member of Tecumseh United Methodist Church. She was just checking on us, seeing if we needed anything, offering her support. We talked for a few minutes, and she asked if she could call me back in a few weeks, just to see how we were doing. I said “Sure.� True to her word, Gail Wilson called us back, and we talked some more. Two simple phone calls were all it took to feel “invited.� Shortly thereafter, we began to “visit� church on a semi-regular basis.
jak
Posted by jaselin at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)
Membership
It was a long, and complicated series of events (marriage, losses, funerals) that sparked Jeff’s desire to reconfirm his beliefs.
We began going to church more and more regularly, not just for funerals, anymore. When it was announced at church one morning, that new membership classes were beginning, Jeff wanted to go. I said I would gladly go with him.
I was curious, as I had been raised in a Jewish home. I wanted to learn the source of Jeff’s strength, and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with my husband, in any way possible.
We already knew Jeff’s health was failing, and I realized this would be important to him in the years to come.
I did not expect to find Jesus. I did not expect to convert. I did not expect the great changes that were coming in my life, for better and worse. I did not expect the great comforts I’ve found, either.
jak
Posted by jaselin at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)
Baptism
Like most families, my brothers and I are very much different, yet sometimes, very much the same.
The profound loss of many loved ones, the stress of my full-time job, the expenses of our retail store, the failing health of my husband, and my own weight issues, drove me into semi-seclusion. I have a habit of “turtling� when I am overwhelmed.
As a result, my younger brother and I had not spoken much for almost a year. Then, one day, seemingly out of the blue, he called with an invitation. My nephew, Mitchell, was going to be baptized, and Todd had called to invite Jeff and me to attend. I did not hesitate to say, “Yes.�
But, I was surprised at what came next. “There’s something else you should know,� he said. “I too am getting baptized.�
What a lightening bolt moment for me; I credit this to be my first in a series of lovingly patient God-smacks.
For nearly a year, Todd and I had been on the same path and did not even know it. For nearly a year, we had been investing in knowledge, and discovering our own beliefs. I said, “I’ll come to yours, if you come to mine.�
It turned out that our baptisms were scheduled just a few weeks apart. We attended each other’s with great joy. I still tear-up thinking about the circumstances surrounding our individual acceptance of Christ, and the re-convergence of our lives.
God was laying the foundation for a greater love, and providing a rock-solid source of strength that only HE knew that both Jeff and I would need in the days ahead.
jak
Posted by jaselin at 03:37 PM | Comments (0)