My ministry has had a bit of a Goldilocks Syndrome. For the first eight years, I served in Florida where the sun was shining, and the season didn’t vary much throughout the year. I then returned to Minnesota where between the wind chill in January and the heat in August, we experienced a 150 degree swing. And then we came to North Carolina. Not too hot, not too cold, not too monotonous, not too dramatic. In the words of Goldilocks, North Carolina is just right. Each season has its own unique appeal. You have access to mountains, lakes and oceans. We have loved it for almost 27 years.

Except for family.

When we left Minnesota in 1998, we knew that Christ Lutheran was not going to be a stepping stone. This was a legacy call where I would serve for a long time, hopefully until retirement. When we left, we made a promise to return each summer to Minnesota to see the aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. However, between those summer visits, we knew that we would miss anniversaries and birthdays, Thanksgivings and Christmases, recitals and sporting events. It was the price we had to pay.

That decision to move far away so many years ago became poignant this week as I write this blog from Minnesota. My 88-year-old parents are slowing down. One has back issues and high blood pressure, the other has macular degeneration and arthritis. They need more and more help from their children, and I’m far away. I am so grateful to my sister and brother who have really stepped up and are so attentive to their needs. I just wish that I could do the same.

I’m here for a couple of days doing the most mundane things; taking them to doctors’ appointments, long conversations catching up on the family, hearing about their church, cooking them some meals and watching Netflix. It’s really not much, but I love it. I think they do, too. It feels normal. It feels what family is supposed to do for one another. It feels right.

The Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. It’s what I am doing this week. I talk to them several times a week on the phone, but that can’t replace a face-to-face conversation over a dinner we’ve planned and prepared together that lasts for an hour and half before bedtime at 9:00.

I love North Carolina. I love Christ Lutheran Church. I love our life here. I just wish it weren’t so far away from me fulfilling my love language of being the son I need to be for aging parents.

Honor your father and mother. It isn’t so much of a command as it is a gift to return the love and favor that they once showered upon me that now I can offer back to them. One never knows how much time you have together. Best to take it while you can.

Peace,
Pastor Scott