Cleaning Up

I have two Sundays under my belt at my new appointment. One thing is true, everything is different. The choir is not as strong, the sanctuary is not as pretty, but the people are very kind and welcoming. I still feel detached from them. I pray that will go away in time. Some of it too that I work from the parsonage now and not at an office at church. I don't have a secretary, or other staff, besides a part time choir director/pianist. It is just me out here, a little bit of a change.

Another thing that has been different is moving into another parsonage. During my first appointment we moved into the money pit. [my father-in-law literally stepped through the floor of this parsonage]. Now that congregation did sell that dump and purchased a wonderful parsonage that we thoroughly enjoyed for almost three years. This new parsonage though is gorgeous. It is huge, spacious and the yard is even bigger. We pushed ourselves and besides waiting on some furniture that we ordered we are all unpacked.

Living through my first 'moving day' was interesting too. During this move we had to fill out forms to tell the people how the parsonage was found. Was it clean, did it have everything in order, etc. The place was in great shape with a few very minor details. The one thing that wasn't done was the shower drain. It was clogging up. I attempted to use a plunger on it a few times and that freed the clog a little but it didn't last long. I knew more drastic measures would have to be taken.

Finally, one afternoon after unloading boxes all day, I remembered to bring a flathead screwdriver with me to the shower (not something I bring to the shower regularly). I jimmied open the drain over and I looked in side. Like a surgeon calling out to his scrub nurse I called for my wife to bring me a pair of needle nose pliers and a grocery bag. Using the pliers and the screwdriver I chiseled away at the muck that lived below the drain. As I freed it, I grasped it with the pliers and lifted it from the drain. With keen harmony, my wife and I both went into a chorus of, ewwww.

For the next 15 minutes I birth Chewbacca’s daughter from the drain, one clump at a time. To say it was gross was an understatement but to think that a person could walk away from this shower and still have hair on her head was very puzzling. (yes it was hair from minister’s wife before me, trust us we figured it out). I made one final scrap and grab and the surgery was over. I placed the cover back on and it has drained well since.

The parsonage is in great shape but for now one when we look back at moving into it, we will think of the drain, the lovely, hair and ‘stuff’ filled drain. Ah, the memories of ministry.