A house stands empty, awaiting new owners. Its hallways silently echo voices of its past who have called this place home. Two generations of one family grew up on this property, playing whiffle ball and soccer under trees that served as bases and sidelines. One bedroom in particular spent the better part of four decades adorned with pennants and flags declaring fandom toward the Bears and Hawks, amongst others. Birthdays, graduations, and baptisms were celebrated here. Tears were shed here. The driveway was host to epic basketball games and hockey shootouts. At times, music boomed out these windows, and in other moments the deck hosted family members in quiet solitude. Life happened here.
The grandfather, who was once a child here, has occasion to drive by every now and again. He became a young man, then a father, and eventually even went into ministry while living in this house. Life’s transformations and transitions were marked here. Storms pounded these walls, leaving scars in their wake. But most of what happened in this place was love. The love of a family. The love of friends. The love of God. It is love’s seeds that were planted, and rooted, here. That is what draws him back when he is in the area. In his mind’s eye he sees himself playing a game with his dad, shooting hoops with his mom, and playing hockey with his son. He remembers laughing and crying in those rooms. He knows that he has been, and still is, blessed by his time here. For the love we receive from God and others is eternal. Grief may come along, but the love behind it never fades. Thus, this neighborhood always evokes a smile, as it is a memorial marker in a life that continues to unfold. Thanks be to God…
-Rev Jeffrey G Mikyska
Experience the Trinity 