-Your printer toner explodes all over your favorite pair of jeans
-Said printer is broken, and you have to use a friend's printer approximately 10 times
-Printer needs to be taken to a repair shop or it can never be used again
-You have to call your old dentist to fix a cracked crown, find out it's really not under warranty, but they'll give you a deal for $375.
-You also find out you need another $900 worth of work on your teeth.
-You discover that when your hard drive crashed, you lost 5 years worth of files and photos (only to find them after 2 days of crying about it).
-You get mad at your husband for said "hard drive crash" event, then have to apologize since he was the one who found all of your missing files.
-You go to your job and mess up pretty bad, making your boss irritated
-You have to take care of 2 sick kids (one with a 103.4 fever), and then you contract the never-ending cough that seems to strike only when you are trying to sleep.
And then...
-A friend ends up in the hospital
-Another friend dies
Yep, that was my week, alright. Honestly, though, I felt God's presence very strong with me through this week's events. When someone you know passes away, it puts everything in perspective. You realize that you shouldn't get upset about the little things in life. You also realize that the most important "things" in your life are the people you love, and you need to cherish every moment with them. You realize that sometimes you get upset about stupid things, and it is important to slow down and remember what really matters.
The person who died was a former boss of mine (a professor), as well as my master's thesis advisor in college. He was also a former pastor at our church- the one who got Martin the job as Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship. He was the father to two kids in our youth group, and we had regular events at his house. We went camping with the church (and his family), and he was there when we all found out that a teenager in our church died in a tragic accident. He counseled, encouraged, and challenged everyone he was around. The last few years he had moved and we were not in regular contact with him. However, he made an indelible mark on my life.
During the time I worked for him, he would always refer to me as "his" secretary. Although I worked for 15 professors, he felt that I did more work for him than anyone, and so he gave everyone the impression that I worked for him alone :) He would invite me into his office and we would talk about theology, life, ministry, and family. One time I told him a dream I had, and he proceeded to interpret it in a "Daniel" way, and gave me such insight into my life that I felt changed afterwards!
Craig Rusch could often be seen in the middle of controversy, but it was because he was passionate about justice, and passionate about the people he cared about.
Unfortunately he passed away suddenly from pneumonia-type symptoms while on a business trip, doing what he loved - consulting with organizations on how to reach younger generations.
You can read more about his life here. Tomorrow is his memorial service, where Martin and I will sing "It is Well with my Soul." Today I shopped for the reception afterwards. I am overseeing that part of the service, and it was an odd feeling to be in Costco, shopping for the memorial service of a man I used to know so well. I used to plan Anthropology receptions for him when I worked as his Administrative Assistant. Today I just did what I always used to do for him. It was a little therapeutic for me, as I thought about him and processed his life and death.
Today, hold the ones you love a little closer. Remember that if you've had a bad week, those little annoyances are so small compared to eternity, and we need to love well the ones God has blessed us with.
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