Reunion

Yesterday evening I ran into the pastor I worked for over a year ago.  Last March almost our entire ministry team was let go: the pastor, the administrative assistant (me) and the graphic designer, along with many more from other ministries. After almost a year away, I'm back at the same church...same office...same desk (amazingly enough), but now working for a different pastor in a different ministry.

My former boss's brother is still a pastor here, and yesterday they came through a door together just as I turned the corner. After my initial surprise at seeing his face, I almost instantly burst into tears. Not loudly or very noticably - and the hallway was dark, too - but it was an uncontrollable reaction at seeing someone I deeply cared for. We hugged across his armload of camera equipment and they continued on their way.

At just about this time last year we'd all packed up our offices and had been pursuing new jobs for about a month. Mine was not going well, and I dreaded going in every morning. One particular day I woke up to a nearly flat tire and had to stop by and fill it up on my way in to work. I was rushing, and as I drove away I realized I had left the tiny tire valve cap sitting on the gas station air pump. Frustrated, I returned to the gas station and crouched down to replace the errant cap, muttering about how terrible the rest of the day would surely turn out.

As I stood back up I heard a familiar voice say, "I thought I recognized your car!" It was him. Just like today, I instantly started crying. He asked how it was going and I said not great. He had been a pastor at the church for over a decade, so the blow of the layoff was much greater to him than it was to me, but he was still strong, encouraging and calm. He said he'd be praying for me, we hugged, and went our separate ways.

I hadn't seen him again until yesterday. While it was a brief reunion, it was good.