Saying goodbye and the healing of tears.

I suppose I'm really due a post on what went down on Wednesday last. It went very well , but was very emotional for me. I suppose the first surprise was how full the Church was and it was good to see so many folks from the other local churches present (my occasional whinges about ecumenical worship aside!). It was also very moving to have someone come up and say "We failed you too". I actually don't see that they did as I was too far sunk in my own depths in someways to hear and accept and ask for support. However, that may be something for the mature judgement of posterity. The other truly moving bit was a young family. They said "It was you who got us in here, because you said 'Yes'" (to a baptism). I really had mislaid that bit. I could think of the burials and the one or two who left or drifted. I could see decline in the life of the congregation in my time there. Remembering the growth, the 'yeses' doesn't come naturally. Hearing that you touched, made an impact, changed some lives - that always comes as a surprise.

So yes, I cried - and so did others but they were, if not joyful tears, then healing tears. Saying you mattered even if I was bad at showing it. (Just like my flaming Father! We never got that tape until after he died. At least I have still have a pulse!) I'm glad I did it and I think others were glad too.