Brenda

In one of my former congregations, I had a council member named Brenda. Brenda will always stand out in my mind as an example of maturity; an example we should all strive to emulate.

Brenda was not old by any extent; she was in her 40's, so this wasn't "the wisdom of the ages." Brenda was just a very bright woman and a woman of integrity.

The situation that I remember involved a vote that was before the council. This vote involved moving some rooms within the church building. Brenda was not for the moving of the rooms and stated such. When the vote came through, Brenda was the only person to vote against the proposal. I appreciate her integrity in voting against the proposal that she did not agree with. She did not fold under pressure.

A few days later, I got to the church and Brenda and her daughter was in the church arranging the furniture in the rooms that had been changed by the proposal. They were setting up tables and placing table clothes over them. Brenda was moving stuff around and looking at it with her decorator eye.

I was a bit confused.

I asked Brenda what she was doing. She told me that although she was against the changes, she was part of the council and the congregation. The proposal had been voted in by the council and as a council member, it was now her duty to see that this proposal succeeded!

Brenda had the maturity to see that sometimes some things were bigger than her. She had the maturity to see that sometimes the Spirit may be moving but not giving us the all the insights. She trusted that God was moving and that although she may not know what God was doing, she should not stand in the way, and should use her gifts to help in whatever way possible.

I love Brenda!