Living a Better Story: Helen & Bob's Story

Here’s My Story, and I’m Stickin’ To It!

About a year ago, I heard about this “Pass the Blessing” experience from dear friends Amanda and Travis Garner.  Travis increased his “God Money” through a website for a worthwhile charity.  So, when I opened my FUMC envelope and saw $20, I thought, “Website?”

I immediately answered myself, “I need to do this without pestering my computer savvy children to help a computer challenged parent with yet another project.”

Thus began my wrestle with God and finding what He wanted me to do.  Thoughts were:  RIFA (good, but too easy?); a community “Messiah” sing-along (fun, but not quite what this is all about?); gift to one of my financially strapped children to help with car repair, utilities, etc.  None of these seemed right.

You may know that daughter Kate is married to James, a 2^nd year Vanderbilt Divinity student.  He, and she, recently accepted a pastorate an hour away from Nashville in Trenton, KY.  Bob and I were blessed to worship in Trenton this past Sunday.  Bells Chapel United Methodist Church is the replica of “The Church in the Wildwood,” a beautiful red brick chapel nestled in a copse of trees way out in the country.  The church has 39 members, 21 of whom were attending service.  Jenny played the hymns, complete with the little church mouse scurrying out of the piano during the offertory.

  

James is struggling with this tiny congregation who are reluctant to reach out to the community.  And so, here it was – my better story!

      

I have passed this experience of “Living a Better Story” to Bells Chapel, Trenton, KY.  Anonymously, they have received $200 to be divided among the members with the same introduction First Church received.  I hope that a few parishioners will wrestle with God’s will as I have and increase their blessings tenfold.