Life Rhythms

There was something special about Sunday at Gram's house. True, it started like every other day. Hub (my grandfather) would head downstairs around 6am and read the paper in his aqua colored recliner. At 8am sharp, he would part the curtains at the foot of the stairs and in a slightly raspy voice, call up the stairs "Mate! Mate!" (his pet name for my grandmother). Gram would roll over in bed, her long hair out of its usual tight head circling roll of a bun, and sigh.

She slid on her faded pink chenille robe and plodded to the upstairs bathroom for a quick splash before heading to the kitchen to fix the oatmeal and coffee. I lay wide awake in the twin bed in Aunt Lillian's room from the first stirring of my Grandfather as he tiptoed downstairs, but I didn't dare arise until Gram was safely in the kitchen.

On normal days, Gramp wore his garage overall and suspenders and Gram wore a faded print dress. But on Sundays, Gramp wore his stiff gray suit and dress hat and Gram wore a fancy suit type dress. After breakfast was cleared away, Bibles were located and we all climbed into Gramp's big red truck for the short drive to the Glenville Community Church where Gram and Gramp were charter members.

The structure was gray stone with nearly blond hard wooden benches, the service long. It was hard to sit still for the whole time, harder to wait afterwards until Gram had greeted friends or taken care of whatever tasks were on her list. Then it was back home for the special Sunday dinner - usually a delicious roast of beef with boiled potatoes, some vegetable straight from the garden, and fresh wheat bread.

Everything about the day was different from the clothes to the food to the resting all afternoon and not working. There was no mistaking this day for some other day.

Somehow this morning, whether it was the plaintive call of the turtle dove outside my bedroom window or the lack of kids making noise or the new facility Community of the Savior is meeting in with stained glass windows that remind me a bit of the windows in Gram's church, this morning felt almost like Sunday at Gram's. It was nice to feel connected to the roots of my upbringing, to feel a part of something bigger and more far reaching than my own finite realm.

I drew much strength from the service, hearing the Scripture, confessing my sins, receiving communion, repeating the Lord's Prayer and being one voice among many. I was uplifted from connecting with good friends and making a few new ones. I like the rhythm of Sabbath. It's wonderful be part of such a large family!