Wait
a minute. Tomorrow is April
already? How did I miss the Ides of
March? Sigh …
Last
night we hosted another party. This one
was to say goodbye to Ann and Eric and Cedric.
We have known Anne literally since she was a baby. She played Baby Jesus in a Christmas pageant
one year when we were in seminary.
Rocked the roll, too, I might add.
Then her family moved to Mexico City to be teacher missionaries. Our next connection came when we took a group
of boys to a Royal Ambassadors regional event in Belton, Texas. Who were the visiting missionary
speakers? None other than Anne and her
family. She was a young lady by then, at
least 10 or 12. She was already
accomplished in the fine art of, well, talking.
Whether she sensed that she could trust us, or she just never met a stranger,
she engaged us the entire time we were together there.
Our next
contact came many years later when I listened to a phone message at the church
from a new student at Texas A&M University’s Galveston campus. The hesitant voice on the other end wanted to
know if I was the same guy who went to seminary with her father. We started going by to pick her up for a ride
to church every week. And from that
beginning we walked with Anne through college graduation and job searches. She sang with the Praise Team at church, and
even led the effort for a while, selecting the songs every week. She became a regular at our home group, and
over the years invited quite a few friends and co-workers to be a part of our
gathering.
Hers
was the wedding that almost was canceled when the officiant wouldn’t proceed
unless he had the license in hand. And the
license was MIA. I offered to step in if
they wanted me to, and after a quick call to Nathan to bring me my wedding
book, the ceremony carried on. The
license was right where Anne said it was, by the way. The searchers had inadvertently covered it up
with some other stuff. I signed it a day
or two later and all was good. We walked
with her through some difficult times as well as some really exciting times in
her marriage. Not the least of which was
the adoption of little Cedric. I guess
that one would qualify in both categories.
The process and the wait was extremely difficult, but the end result was
a fine youngster who is not “little” Cedric any longer. It was one of those proud “substitute parent”
moments for us when we were honored to stand with them before the judge when the
adoption was finalized.
As I told
Anne when they left the house last night, we found her after her exile to
Mexico, so we should be able to maintain some sort of contact with Austin. I assume they have cell phone service there, don’t
they?
Acts
2:43-47 says, “Everyone kept feeling a
sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the
apostles. And all those who had believed
were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their
property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have
need. Day by day continuing with one
mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking
their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day
by day those who were being saved.”
Father,
continue your walk with Anne and Eric and Cedric in this new adventure they
find themselves on. Amen.
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