Elm Street Congregational Church Newsletter
November 2007

A Letter from Pastor Linda

Dear Friends,

As I arrived home yesterday I met the owner of Darius Tree Service leaving our driveway with a huge Kubota tractor in tow, as well as another flat bed truck loaded heavily with the remains of our majestic old Weeping Willow tree. The tropical storm Noel that raged through the Downeast coast on Saturday night took its toll on many trees and power lines. Wind gusts of 65-70 miles per hour tend to do that. Dick and I got up in the morning surprised that we did not lose power. Dick had gone to the kitchen to put the tea pot on and I heard him cry out in a tone that was unfamiliar. I thought that maybe he was sick so of course I came out to check on him. But as I arrived in the kitchen he informed me that we no longer had the old tree that had stood in our yard for over 50 years, probably dating back to when Ralph Robshaw’s parents owned our property. As I ran to the front window to survey the damage my first reaction was of deep sadness that such an old and well worn tree could be toppled so quickly. But looking at the root ball that was lifted up out of the ground reminded me that with roots so shallow it was amazing that it lasted as long as it did. Then I thought to myself, thank goodness that the tree did not fall the other way. It could have hit our garage and done a lot of damage. As it was, when it fell, it just missed our newly installed horse fence by about two inches. Then I thought, “thank you God that no one was hurt and our house went undamaged.” That was a blessing indeed. Blessings are like that you know.   They pop up in our lives in places we do not expect them. Now I could have just been upset at the loss of such a beautiful piece of nature and at the empty void that was left behind when it fell, but instead I saw the blessing. The damage could have been much worse for one. And secondly, now I have a really good view of the field that the horses are in so I can keep a better eye on them when they are out. And now Dick and I can clear, fill and finish the last piece of the property around our house that was overgrown and hard to keep clear of weeds because of the root system from the willow tree. Now I can envision a nice green lawn in its place and that will be a blessing next summer when I mow the lawn because then when I mow I won’t have to skirt around the rocks and roots that surrounded the willow.  Indeed a blessing in disguise!  

Our stewardship slogan, “Count Your Blessings” has helped to make me much more aware of slowing down and really taking stock of the blessings that God has placed in my life. Many are very simple blessings, like when Basil and Norton and even Samson the cat come to greet me when I get home after a long day at the church. To see their tails wag and to then receive the wet and slimy toys they bring me as a welcome offering truly lifts my heart. And to hear little Sophie call me on the phone and say, “Hi Mima!” is like music to my ears. To see the eyes of the Sunday school kids grow wide when “Moses” came to church to talk with them and to watch Kamryn hug Esmerelda, the green faced witch, when she felt lonely and unloved, reminded me of the wonderful blessing of innocence and love for life that our children teach us. Those are the everyday blessings that I am now paying more attention to because when I do, I realize that it is all the little things in life that make my life so rich and full.   

I am reminded each and every day that God’s presence is surrounding us. Just look at God’s handiwork in nature. As I came in from the barn the other night I was awe struck at the beauty of the starry night and that reminded me of the enormity of our God. In the introduction of the little book, God is in the Small Stuff and It All Matters, the authors remind us that when we see God in the enormity of the sky or the ocean we tend to think about God as vast, immense, and sometimes impersonal. But then they quote Matthew 6:25-26 which in essence says, “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.” The authors are reminding all of us that although God created the universe God also created each one of us. God knows us, loves us and cares about all the tiniest details of our lives. They must have heard about our stewardship slogan for this coming year because “Bruce and Stan” encourage all of us to begin to recognize God’s involvement in the everyday details of life. They remind us that God gives us big blessings in our lives but even more important is that God offers us so many small blessings, tiny things that show us God’s “amazing intimacy with us – God knows every detail of each of our individual lives” (Oswald Chambers). Now that is a blessing to be sure.    

Dear friends, as we enter into this season of Thanksgiving and then on into the season of Advent, a time when we await the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ,may we be reminded of God’s blessings in our lives, both large and small. Take the time each morning and each evening to reflect for a few minutes on the people who touched your life that day and on all the tiny blessings that were intertwined within your day. Remember that person who greeted you at Hannaford’s or that check out boy who carried your groceries to your car. Remember how nice it was to not have to cook because you picked up your bean meal that morning or how peaceful it was to just sit on the bench in the memorial garden and enjoy a few minutes of quiet. Remember what a blessing it is to be a member of this church, a place where God welcomes and calls each of us. Think about your friends who share their gifts of time, talent and abundance with the church and the community and be reminded that all of our blessings are gifts from God. As the coming months unfold keep God at the center of your life and pay attention to how God is acting in your life. I can guarantee that if you do that you will be filled with mmense gratitude to our God for all the blessings that you experience, especially for the tiniest ones. Remember that in this season of Thanks – giving we are getting a clear message. Offer gratitude to God for your blessings and then be a blessing to someone else by giving of yourself.  That is what our Lord requires of us. God bless you all.                                  

Love and peace,

Rev. Linda A. Smith, Minister