Jewells of Thought

Honestly Sunday was a wild card for me. I had no idea what was going to happen. I had heard high school students would be at church so we, the choir, would have to practice down in the basement.

It’s been nearly a week so I am trying to remember everything that happened earlier that day. I do remember being surprised by a text and phone call once again. This is becoming a sweet bi-weekly tradition of hers again. Although this time was slightly different. Her best buddy Kenny, her Dad’s best friend was also roped into coming to church with us. It’s nice being able to put that extra wide smile on Grandma’s face on Sunday morning. Delighting in having 3 generations of Bishops in the pew brightened up my day. Selena also likes putting smiles on faces too.

Selena was texting me every time weekend we had her last year and then after Christmastime she stopped. I was afraid it would be hard to reconnect that interest with her. Something happened a few weeks ago though. She, like me was raised around Grandma Bishop’s Church. It’s where we have our family dinners and come for Homecoming and of course the Christmas Cantata. Granted she hasn’t been as consistent about each and every holiday or event she knows the Pleasantville Church.

However, I kind of cross over. The morning church is at Grandma’s and I go to the evening church at Fellowship another home church for me. Cantata practice began a few weeks ago and I missed the first one, but I haven’t missed one since. I wasn’t sure about what was going on this last Sunday evening though. Not going on mornings leaves me out of the circle sometimes. Thankfully already being parked helped me make the decision though. It was going to be a packed house. I don’t know when I heard the word concert I had eluded that word until that Sunday.

Choir has felt different this time around. Chuck and Tammy are gone and our choir loft is more for decoration now instead of its intention. Being downstairs felt more of a sense of homey in some small way. Tammy’s influence in the Ladies Meetings with the curtains on the downstairs doors to keep the sun out of our eyes. I still see the various people who made an impact on my life from my family’s 20 years in this church. While we were starting to practice Max began playing basketball and then someone joined him later on. It was after practice I determined I was going to stay and see what would happen upstairs.

To my amazement, once I was handed a bulletin and walked just a couple of steps into the Sanctuary I was surprised. One of the girls in one of my brothers classes was sitting in the back with one of her daughters. It has only been nearly 6 years since I have seen her; since I left Wal-Mart. Amber and I got to catch up before the concert began and she filled me in on some of the details. She had a daughter singing in the choir. I didn’t personally know any of the kids singing, but some of the families coming to watch them sing I did know.

Goodness it felt like a reunion. Not only from school, but friends from another church and another farm family my family knows. So many faces in one place; it was hard to determine if there weren’t others I missed.

To think I even thought about not staying for this and wasn’t sure what to do most of the afternoon!

The kids did a great job. It was nice to see such a big group of students who seemed to have talent whether they were there of their own volition or not. The soloists were so brave. It took me a long time to do solos and they did them without music in front of them. After a college performance gone rye I decided never would I go without music ever again.