A couple of weeks ago, I crossed a major milestone in my life. I turned 50, but more importantly, it was my first birthday without either of my parents. When you lose both of the people who have known you since your first breath, milestones like birthdays might feel more like stark reminders of what is missing and less like celebrations. I did not get my birthday call from my dad this year. What I did get, though, is pretty profound.
Psalm 68:5 says, “Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in holy habitation.
This verse didn’t mean much to me in my distant past. I understood it to say that God loved me in an abstract way. But it literally talks about God being the Father of the fatherless! On my birthday and in the days following, I watched God’s love go from
abstract to concrete. God used the people around me to fill in the gaps. I watched a beautiful theology come to life. My birthday was on a Monday. Instead of our regular morning meeting, the Rector’s Office met for breakfast. The heaviness that I had just been feeling on my way in the car melted away as my loving coworkers celebrated me that morning. On Tuesday, as we do, we celebrated again, and on Saturday Christopher Bahrke threw a surprise party. I received hugs, calls, cards, well wishes, and SO MUCH love. None of it replaced my parents, but every bit of it stood in the gap and filled a small part of the hole. Through all of this, God reminded me of a vital truth: When our earthly safety nets are missing, He is faithful to build an unexpected bridge using people all around us.
This experience changed how I looked at the people in my life, and even how I view our team here.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The beauty of a healthy workplace culture is that we don’t operate as isolated islands. Every day we walk into this church carrying hidden gaps. Grief, family strain, finances, or we are just overwhelmed. My friends didn’t have a magical cure for my grief. They couldn’t bring my parents back. But they showed up anyway. They were willing to hold a corner of my burden (some of them not even knowing they were doing this) so I didn’t need to carry it alone. That is the high calling of community. We get to be the answer to someone else’s prayer. We can show up for a coworker and extend grace if they are struggling. Take time to lend a listening ear if someone is hurting. By offering this, we are standing in the gap.
I am in front of you today with immense gratitude and honor because my community refused to let me fall through the cracks of what could have been a difficult time. Let’s carry that same spirit into the workplace and our ministries. Let’s stand in the gaps for our colleagues and parishioners who might need support and step in with patience, kindness, and support.
Beautifully said, Tiffany!