By Kiera Rich – KRich13@bellsouth.net
Today is a truly momentous occasion. Let me tell you why. With certainty of over 99.8%, I can say that I will never again post a blog that shares a title with the University of Nebraska fight song. I am not now, nor will I ever be a Husker fan. It is just NOT going to happen. But for today’s blog, the title seemed to fit.
Many families at our church travel this time of year as kids are out of school for a week for sping break. They go skiing in Colorado. They rub elbows with Mickey and Minnie at Disney World. They take in the scenery at Tybee Island or Hilton Head. And this is how I know my husband loves me…Jeff and I go to Nebraska.
We came to see the musical “All Shook Up” at a local high school because a very dear friend of mine had the lead. It was an amazing experience. I got to sit in the audience and hear this young woman sing her heart out. All the while, I pictured the little girl that she used to be. The one who drew angel pictures for me and thought that I was magic because I made her a Snow White costume out of a bag of shapeless fabric.
It has been a very busy few days. In addition to the musical, I have had the joy of spending time with a lot of other dear friends. We have shared meals and conversation and a lot of laughter. Each night as I crawled in bed next to Jeff, my mind would replay the day and I would marvel at how things have changed in the last two years.
Some of my friends are grandparents now. Others are partial empty-nesters with kids away at college. Other friends who had preschoolers when I left are now grade-school parents. And time marches on.
The kids that I said good-bye to in the summer of 2006 have changed as well. The boys are taller and their voices deeper. For the first time this week, I called a friend and when her son answered, I immediately knew who I was speaking to and didn’t mistake him for his sister.
The boys conversation has changed a little bit too as I heard the word “shaving” mentioned a few times today. In year’s past, the item being shaved would have undoubtedly been someone’s hamster — not anyone’s face.
The girls have grown too. They are much closer to looking me in the eye than they used to be. They wear make-up, have their own cell-phones (With obnoxious ring tones.) and talk about learning to drive.
My old church has changed. The smallish building that was once bursting at the seams, has been expanded greatly with the addition of a generous children’s wing.
As I got the official tour of the new space, I had a raging attack of A.C.E (Acute Closet Envy.) The room that now houses the 5th and 6th grade Sunday school class has a spacious storage closet with shelves. And the closet door LOCKS. What a comfort to know that needed supplies would be where I had left them the week before; and, not misplaced by any one of the dozens of other groups that I shared my room with during the week.
And the space! There was space within the classroom to play active games, do dramas and split into small groups without literally being stacked on top of each other.
Many things have changed since I’ve been gone. Interestingly, some things have not.
My friendships have not changed. They, of course, are different than they once were. But without exception, the fellowship felt old and familiar and wonderful — as if we’d all been together last week and not 18 months ago.
I felt the same feelings of “I never want this to end” as I sat on a friend’s couch and talked about everything under the sun. Just as it has always been, her children popped in sporadically to share interesting tidbits of their lives with us.
And as odd as it may sound, my basic ministry within my old church has not changed. Due to the fact that I am a member of a different church and live 1200 miles away, my ministry is definitely different than it once was. But in its most basic form, I still love the Children’s Director and the kids she serves and I want to do everything I can to help.
I had the opportunity to meet with the Children’s Director and her faithful sidekick for one of our “Dream & Scheme” times. We used to do this monthly. And, as I was reminded, the last time the three of us met was when I dropped the bomb that I was getting married and moving to Atlanta. (Sorry guys! I probably could have been a little more gentle in the way I broke the news!)
Saturday, over pancakes, we talked about this summer’s VBS, future curriculum ideas and an amazing array of other topics. There was definitely a longing in me to be working with these incredible women on a weekly basis again. I miss their friendship. I miss praying with them. I miss dreaming and scheming and having the opportunity to hang around and watch our plans come to fruition.
They inspired me to use the gifts God has given me in a way that few other people have in my life. I miss that. I miss laughing with them. I miss being part of their weekly (And sometimes daily.) lives. I miss them.
After all this reminiscing, you may be wondering where this ”family reunion” weekend has left me. Am I ready to pack it in and stay here? Is Jeff drafting a letter of resignation from his job and buying long underwear so he can survive winter in Nebraska?
Nope. We are going home tomorrow and I’m sad but ready. It’s time to get back to our regularly scheduled lives. It’s time to get back to our church and our cats and the fellowship of our Atlanta friends. It’s time.
I’ll probably cry tomorrow and not be able to stop thinking of my Nebraska friends. I’ll probably re-play the priceless memories of this vacation for a long, long time.
But I am so incredibly thankful for two reasons. The first reason is that I have all these people that love me. There is great joy in knowing that our friendships can survive distance and time. I was actually a little scared to come back to Nebraska because I was afraid things would feel awkward. But they were not and I’m so thankful.
The second reason is because of the sermon this morning. The youth pastor delivered the message and it was on salvation and John 3:16. He spent a lot of time on the part of the scripture that says, “Whoever believes.” And I was reminded that eventually there will be a day when I don’t have to say good-bye. A day when my heart isn’t torn by longing to be in two places at one time. That day is coming. You really can go home again. And I can’t wait.
As the lyrics to “There is no place like Nebraska” say, “We’ll all stick together, in all kinds of weather…”
I can’t wait.
