During the many months when construction made the Mission House uninhabitable, my “office” was in a small space next to the organ (see below). To be honest, when this option was first suggested I laughed out loud. There was a lot of noise and activity during days before everyone and everything had to be moved into the nave of the church. There would be even more there once every aspect of our operations was shoehorned into half the usual real estate. I didn’t think I would get anything done, ever.
Ultimately, regardless of my concerns, I didn’t have a choice. I joined my colleagues with offices on Mission House 3 in packing boxes and wrapping framed pictures in bubble wrap. Thanks to the heroic efforts of our Porters, my desk and office chairs went downstairs quickly and my workdays took on a very different vibe.
It wasn’t long until I adapted. More than adapted, actually: I really liked the change! It was fun to be in the middle of the action. Staff and volunteers stopped in more. My proximity to our operations in real time meant immediate awareness of what was happening when it was happening. The Monday through Friday energy in our church was, well, energizing!
Construction is almost complete, and my office is back in its original spot. It is gorgeous, and I am grateful. Still, I carry these reminders from the months of disruption: interruption and inconvenience can invite us into unexpected blessings. Sometimes, our assumptions can blind us to God’s grace.
p.s. Because the “before” picture is included above, I tried to take a picture of my new office for comparison. It was not possible to get everything into the frame, so please come visit and see my new digs in person!
