Endings And Beginnings
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"Endings and Beginnings" by Peter Andrew Smith
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Endings and Beginnings
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Sidney came around the corner quickly and ran into a woman coming out of the mall. Packages and bags flew everywhere.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Sidney knelt down and began to gather up the scattered items.
"Not a problem it was my fault I'm sure." The woman gasped. "Sidney, is that you?"
Sidney looked up into the face of her former mother-in-law. A knot formed in her stomach. "Yes, Esther it is me. How are you doing?"
"I didn't recognize you. It is good to... I never expected. You're looking..." Esther sighed. "I really don't know what to say. You certainly look better than the last time I saw you."
"That wouldn't be hard given that I was on the road to destruction."
"True. I heard that you stopped drinking and were trying to put your life back together. I guess I'm just surprised that you look so good." Esther examined her from head to toe. "I never expected to see you look like this again."
Sidney placed the package she had in her hands on the bench just outside of the door. "Like what again?"
"Like when Johnny first brought you home." Esther smiled sadly. "How are you doing?"
"I've been clean for eight months and am most of the way through the steps." She added another package to the pile. "Some of the days have not been easy but it is certainly worth it."
"I'm sorry that I didn't keep in touch." Esther touched her arm. "I always meant to do something to let you know I hadn't forgotten about you. You were my daughter-in-law after all."
"Esther, you had no reason to keep in contact after the divorce." Sidney picked up the last of the fallen articles and placed them in the pile. "How is Johnny these days?"
"He is doing okay." Esther sat down on the bench next to her purchases. "You should give him a call some day."
"I don't think that is a good idea. He made it clear to me that he never wanted to see me again."
"You two used to be so close."
"That was before I started drinking, Esther."
"Maybe you still could be friends."
"I think for both our sakes, we will simply not be enemies." Sidney sighed. "I am grateful though that he at least listened to my apology."
"You hurt him badly."
"I know." Sidney looked at the woman sitting in front of her. "I will always be sorry for how I treated him. I hope he is getting on with his life."
Esther nodded. "He met a nice girl and seems happy."
"I'm glad." Sidney gave a weak smile. "Well, it was nice to see you again. You were always good to me."
"Really?" Esther tilted her head. "I never liked you when you were drinking and was never shy about telling you that. We had some harsh words more than once about it."
"I know. I may have hated you for telling me the truth but you always did. I am grateful for that. I think it is one of the reasons I was able to turn my life around. You told me that if I didn't change my ways that I would end up dead or worse."
"So that is why you went to get help?"
"After a weekend of drinking, I woke up in the parking lot across from St. Jude's Church. I hated myself and what was happening to me and couldn't stop thinking about your words." Sidney felt her tense muscles relax. "So I went to a meeting. I've been back to church regularly since then."
"So the church is where the meetings are?"
"Downstairs, during the week. I met some really great people there who helped me see how I needed my life to change." Sidney fingered the cross around her neck. "Upstairs I found the strength and faith to make those changes happen."
"So you've gone back to church?" Esther smiled. "I prayed that you would not stay lost."
"I am back." Sidney smiled. "I'm even singing in the choir again."
"You always had a lovely voice." Esther narrowed her eyes. "So you are really doing okay?"
"I am." Sidney took a deep breath. "Thank you for your honesty when I was destroying myself and your prayers as well."
Esther stood and wrapped her arms around her former daughter-in-law. "It was good to see you. Take care of yourself."
Sidney hugged her close. "Thank you Esther. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, January 25, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Endings and Beginnings" by Peter Andrew Smith
* * * * * * *
Endings and Beginnings
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Sidney came around the corner quickly and ran into a woman coming out of the mall. Packages and bags flew everywhere.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Sidney knelt down and began to gather up the scattered items.
"Not a problem it was my fault I'm sure." The woman gasped. "Sidney, is that you?"
Sidney looked up into the face of her former mother-in-law. A knot formed in her stomach. "Yes, Esther it is me. How are you doing?"
"I didn't recognize you. It is good to... I never expected. You're looking..." Esther sighed. "I really don't know what to say. You certainly look better than the last time I saw you."
"That wouldn't be hard given that I was on the road to destruction."
"True. I heard that you stopped drinking and were trying to put your life back together. I guess I'm just surprised that you look so good." Esther examined her from head to toe. "I never expected to see you look like this again."
Sidney placed the package she had in her hands on the bench just outside of the door. "Like what again?"
"Like when Johnny first brought you home." Esther smiled sadly. "How are you doing?"
"I've been clean for eight months and am most of the way through the steps." She added another package to the pile. "Some of the days have not been easy but it is certainly worth it."
"I'm sorry that I didn't keep in touch." Esther touched her arm. "I always meant to do something to let you know I hadn't forgotten about you. You were my daughter-in-law after all."
"Esther, you had no reason to keep in contact after the divorce." Sidney picked up the last of the fallen articles and placed them in the pile. "How is Johnny these days?"
"He is doing okay." Esther sat down on the bench next to her purchases. "You should give him a call some day."
"I don't think that is a good idea. He made it clear to me that he never wanted to see me again."
"You two used to be so close."
"That was before I started drinking, Esther."
"Maybe you still could be friends."
"I think for both our sakes, we will simply not be enemies." Sidney sighed. "I am grateful though that he at least listened to my apology."
"You hurt him badly."
"I know." Sidney looked at the woman sitting in front of her. "I will always be sorry for how I treated him. I hope he is getting on with his life."
Esther nodded. "He met a nice girl and seems happy."
"I'm glad." Sidney gave a weak smile. "Well, it was nice to see you again. You were always good to me."
"Really?" Esther tilted her head. "I never liked you when you were drinking and was never shy about telling you that. We had some harsh words more than once about it."
"I know. I may have hated you for telling me the truth but you always did. I am grateful for that. I think it is one of the reasons I was able to turn my life around. You told me that if I didn't change my ways that I would end up dead or worse."
"So that is why you went to get help?"
"After a weekend of drinking, I woke up in the parking lot across from St. Jude's Church. I hated myself and what was happening to me and couldn't stop thinking about your words." Sidney felt her tense muscles relax. "So I went to a meeting. I've been back to church regularly since then."
"So the church is where the meetings are?"
"Downstairs, during the week. I met some really great people there who helped me see how I needed my life to change." Sidney fingered the cross around her neck. "Upstairs I found the strength and faith to make those changes happen."
"So you've gone back to church?" Esther smiled. "I prayed that you would not stay lost."
"I am back." Sidney smiled. "I'm even singing in the choir again."
"You always had a lovely voice." Esther narrowed her eyes. "So you are really doing okay?"
"I am." Sidney took a deep breath. "Thank you for your honesty when I was destroying myself and your prayers as well."
Esther stood and wrapped her arms around her former daughter-in-law. "It was good to see you. Take care of yourself."
Sidney hugged her close. "Thank you Esther. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, January 25, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
