To Our Church Family: You are Priceless.

The front of our church. Priceless people not pictured.

Thanks to Rebekah from Concordian Sisters for this lovely post.

I've made some asides here before about how I don't get the whole clergy wife fetishism thing, but every once in a while it really hits home how much I don't get it. This parish owes me nothing. They called my husband, not me. I feel like I owe them for their willingness to call a married pastor. He is less available to them than a celibate pastor would be. They have also accepted the burden of providing a wage fair to a man with a family. They are the ones making the sacrifices. I cringe whenever one of these dear people apologizes to me for having called upon him in their need. That's why he's here.

Do not ever hesitate to call or to keep him as long as you need him. You gave me this great big house to keep me busy while he's gone. You are the ones who have given us this life which we love. You have adopted my children and me as friends and neighbors. Thank you. Thank you.

Other than the parsonage reference, she speaks my thoughts better than I could, and she got me thinking. I often am overwhelmed by how much I will never, ever be able to adequately thank, much less repay, all of these wonderful people we know as our church family. That we (meaning us Olsons besides Pr.) give any of them anything of value is accidental and mere tuppence compared to what we get from them. And maybe that's the point, we all being part of this family of God: that we, unable to give Him anything, receive everything from Him in return. Wow. Thank you, dear Church Family, for all that which you bless us.