Every Which Way But Loose

“Where’s your mom?”  “Where’s your mom?”  “Have you seen your mom?”

My children were often bombarded with those questions at church.  It seems that everybody was always looking for the church secretary.  I was hard to pin down.

It quickly dawned on me that I should sit near the back of the church because I was often summoned by the ushers to assist with pressing matters during services.  I was dragged out of church to help count the offerings, oversee the ushers while they counted the offerings, meet with people off the street who were asking for help, assess medical issues — which ran the gamut from paper cuts to heart attacks.

Then there were all the other issues:  Where is the plunger?  Where do we keep the light bulbs?  Is there a vacuum cleaner  upstairs?  Why not?  Who has access to the electrical room?  Can you unlock the safe?  The police are in the parking lot.  I need a phone number for Johnny’s grandmother.  Do you have extra towels for the baptismal candidates?

The list was long and varied.  For years and years I came early and left late.  Sundays were not a day of rest for me — nor were Saturdays, or Monday through Friday for that matter.  But I loved it!  Being a servant in God’s house was thrilling for me.  After years of being quixotic, indecisive and clueless, God gave me stability, constancy and purpose.  Being a church secretary made my heart sing.

One of the very best parts of my job was being alone in the Sanctuary early on weekday mornings for prayer.  There was an unparalleled closeness to God in that place — that huge room that was saturated with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.  One morning I was interrupted by a visitor — a famous music evangelist who happened to be passing the church.  He was drawn there by the Spirit of God.  Imagine my surprise when I realized who was beneath the knitted cap pulled down over his ears!  Imagine his surprise when my head popped up from the pew!  Truly a close encounter of the supernatural kind!

Many people who were well-known in Christian circles came to our church.  There were also some who were not-so-well-known in Christian circles, but who are VERY-WELL-KNOWN in the heavenly realms.  Then there were those who are very well known in the realms of entertainment and business, but not in the Kingdom of God.  There was a constant parade of people of all stripes — a fascinating assortment of the unsaved, newly saved, long-time saved, third- or fourth- or fifth-generation saved.

I never knew who was going to show up next.

My mother had a sign on her kitchen door that read: “Backdoor neighbors are the best!”

There’s a lot of truth to that.  I had a back door at the church.  When the doorbell chimed, I wondered, “Now who could that be?”  There was a peephole so I could see who it was.

“Oh, it’s the UPS man!  I’ll bet he brought me some of his famous beef jerky.”

“Oh, it’s the man from the janitorial supply company.  I hope his daughter is adjusting well at college in Arizona.”

“Oh, it’s my son’s friend from Florida!  Why is he driving a red convertible?  I hope he’s here to take me to lunch!”

“Look!  It’s that lady who bakes cakes, and she has a big, white box with her.  Yum!  Yum!”

“It’s a tired mother with a carload of kids.  I’d better get the key to the Food Closet.”

“It’s Jim and Betty.  I’ll bet they’ve been on another adventure in the Lord.”

“It’s the Pastor.  Forgot his key again.”

Backdoor neighbors are the best!

Whether I was plunging clogged toilets, taking inventory in the supply closet or greeting distinguished guests, my life was satisfying, fulfilled.  God did that for me.  He took this lonely woman and placed her in a family.  He surrounded me with righteous people and gave me a hunger for His Word, a desire to know Him up close and personal.  He equipped me to tell others of His wondrous works.  Then He put me in the Grand Central Station of life — a hub of global servants, world travelers and desperate seekers — where I was pushed and stretched and pulled every which way but loose from His tight hold on me, his loving hand guiding me and His voice comforting and encouraging me.

“Where’s your mom?”  “Where’s your mom?”  “Have you seen your mom?”

Yes.  She is resting securely in the arms of Jesus!

“Freely you have received; freely give.”  — Matthew 10:8