Memory Lane

Sunday night I shared "The Story of Gomer" at my dad's church. And the night before that I shared it at Machias Community Church in Snohomish, WA.

Both performances were a little surreal but yet really fun.

You see, Machias is where we lived from the time I was 3 until just before my 6th grade year when we moved to Whidbey Island.

We came up to my parent's house on Friday night and then on Saturday my dad and I drove over to Machias so I could perform there. We drove by our old house and then drove to the church, down the road where I could still remember the turns and still recognize so many houses even though so much has changed. We drove to the church where I remember running through the isles, playing on the stage, taking the "secret" stairs behind the baptismal down to the basement. I was baptized there. I remember singing in Steven Curtis Chapman songs in kid's choir. Awana and Sunday School, so many things that just kept flooding back. I remember exactly where I stood one Sunday when I told my dad that I was going to Grace's house after church and then going and getting in trouble later because my dad had assumed that I had already gotten permission from my mom and then was surprised that my mom didn't know where I was when they got home.

And it was odd and neat at the same time to stand in front of this same church, with familiar faces in the audience (faces that if I saw them in a crowd I would probably stare for awhile and think, "I think I know them" but not be able to put a name to a face, though that face is dear) to share the story of God's amazing love, through the story of Gomer.

Someone came up to me later and laughed when I said "Hi" back. He said it was the first time that I'd ever returned his greeting. When I was little I would hide my face in my dad's pant leg or my mom's skirt whenever he said hi.

And then last night, at the Chapel, in front of a few more familiar faces who knew me through my middle and high school days, I got to share the story again.

It was a lot of memories in 2 days and that's not a bad thing. It was really really special.

I feel so blessed to do what I love and hopefully be used of God to share the truth of His redeeming love.