SPECIAL DAY

A few months ago some friends came to us with a proposal.  The sanctuary remolding committee had left a spot where the organ pipes had been for a stained glass window.  This new window would match the window on the other side of the church in size and shape.  Our friends wanted to dedicate the new stained glass window to us, and have us involved in the design.

Questions swirled through our minds.  First of all, "why us?" As Dave so nicely put it, we are just ordinary people.  Then we thought, "we don't have the slightest idea where to begin".  Fortunately a theme came to us.  In Dave's sermon (I think many of you have seen or read it), he talked about putting your troubles in a backpack and throwing it into still waters where it did not make a ripple.  So the search was on for a picture of still water.  Fortunately our friends found several that would work.  We did our usual, you look at it and don't tell me what you think, system.  Then I look and see if there are any we agree on.  Yeah, it worked again.  Dave’s first choice was one of my top four. 

The stained glass artist (also named David) was excited about the picture.  We had the opportunity to visit his studio and see the window in progress.  The medallion of our still water was finished,  along with most of the window.  He told us about the types of glass that were in the existing windows, some of which is no longer available.  There were floor to ceiling shelves full of different types of glass.  It was fascinating.  Get to the point you say.  Okay.

Sunday was the unveiling and dedication of the window.  Again we were almost overwhelmed when reading the inscription "for your love and inspiration".  Dave has always enjoyed getting up and talking in front of people, but this was different.  Every time he talked about what the window meant to him, he would start crying.  I had put my thoughts in my computer so it could speak for me.  He decided he would do the same thing.  Since I have different voices we tried a male voice, but he wanted to use the same voice I was using.  The one thing I forgot to do was to tell people when it was talking for Dave.  He saw the stream as his life flowing into a vast ocean of uncharted territory.  He is trying to look at this transition as a new adventure in a life that has been filled with adventures and wonderful people.