At the time, I was engaged in a ceremony in the fellowship hall, and I happened to be in the process of awarding her daughter, Leandra, the Abba Counseling Center Most Notable Intern of All Time Award; (or some terminology quite similar to this). Prior to the event I had contracted with a trophy company to engrave a beautiful plaque, and I had written a monologue worthy of the occasion.
As
the pastor and his wife (her grandparents), Matthew and Saundra (her parents),
James and Jenny (her uncle and aunt), and my wife sat in unpadded metal chairs before
me, and Leandra stood beside me, I droned on about my intern’s accomplishments,
and my high hopes for her future.
I
was in the process of waxing eloquent, and half a minute from finishing my
speech… when the hallway door behind me was pushed open, and one of the deacons appeared in the threshold. Did I mention I was very close to
finishing my monologue? (Yeah, I thought I did). Did I mention Mr. Manchester might
have easily seen that some sort of ceremony was being conducted through the
glass window in the door? (No, I guess I didn’t, but I’m mentioning it now).
Well,
dear readers, with this unexpected development, I did the only thing that
entered my mind to do under the circumstances. I pushed back! I turned from my
written material and closed the door in the deacon's face! As a retired military
man, no doubt, I thought,
“Nope.
Not on my watch! You’re not going to ruin this ceremony!”
And
as with so many reminiscences, what transpired seemed all too momentous at the
time, but with the benefit of passing years, it is little more than a footnote,
and cannot help but elicit a chuckle. (Perhaps more than one).
Did
I mention I had been engaged in awarding my dear intern the most singular
recognition this counseling center will ever award? (Yeah, I thought I did).
Did I mention she went on to do some wonderful things? (No, I guess I didn’t,
but, well, she did).
For
you see, Leandra went on to finish her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
religion or ministry, as the case may be, and is currently the web coordinator
for an international ministry which has conducted overseas revivals attended by
multiplied millions of people, and as a net result multiplied millions have
come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I
am pleased. Yes, I am pleased.
*Note: All names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty.
*Note: All names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty.
(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 80. By William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending
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