Thelma Church
Everybody always complains about how busy they are and how they don’t have time to do this or that; whenever something new is planned or happens, they’ll note that it’s more work for them to do. I wonder how many people have yet realized that with Thelma Church gone they’ve now got more work to do.
We’ve depended on Thelma a lot in the past several years but we probably never noticed because that was how she worked; quietly and unnoticed, never seeking attention or praise. Now somebody else has a lot more work to do.
Now somebody else will have to go around Crestview and Church Street and the Drop-In Center and the Group Home every year and invite them to Bible School and revivals and singings. Thelma always did that because she thought it was important for people to come to anything that her church did and she was always worried about the people who don’t go to church and special events.
Now somebody else will have to work on the list of people who need Thanksgiving dinners. Thelma always did that because she was concerned about people being lonely on the holidays.
Now somebody else will have to remind us during praise time to pray for her friends and her boys and grandchildren; to lift up a praise during prayer time when her sisters or brothers had been sick and got better. Thelma always did that because she wanted them to find the assurance that she had.
Now somebody else will have to come forward every year to keep Carolyn and Ashley company when it’s time to pick up the perfect attendance pins. Thelma always did that because she didn’t feel her week was complete if she didn’t start it in church.
Now somebody else will have to smile when the choir sings and sing along with them and wish that they could get back in the choir or sing another solo instead of looking for reasons for not doing so. Thelma always did that because she wanted to be a part of worship, not apart from it.
Now somebody else will have to call people to see if they want to ride the van and to remind people who used to be more regular that the van still runs and they should be on it. Thelma always did that because she missed people when they weren’t at church and didn’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want to be in church every Sunday.
Now somebody else will have to look after the group home ladies when they get restless or anxious and have to go walk around to calm down. Thelma always did that because they were her friends and God’s friends even when they can’t sit still.
Now somebody else will have a lot more work to do; a lot of work that they probably never realized had been done, work that only got done because Thelma always did that.
