As I was falling asleep last night, the solution to my keyboard travails found me.  I would attach the two brackets that I had to take off the desk to the tray again.  I would affix the tray to the two brackets that were staying up.  I would tape the tray or use clamps of some sort and then I’d drill in the remaining bracket screws.  Taping or clamping the tray in place did not work well.  And Sherod is well enough that he could come and sit at my desk to hold the tray up while I did the last bits. And so this morning, I am writing with a keyboard on the tray, so much more comfortable typing than in ages.

The work I am doing with ECF is still very limited.  I have a sense that the scope and reach of what I will do in this program will be very different from my ministry here in Fort Lauderdale.  Earlier this week, I prepared a report for one of our funding agencies.  The measures we use to track our students’ progress in the school success program showed we are doing really good work with them.  One of the parts of my ministry that has been so hugely meaningful was being able to say, “I made a difference for this specific child, for this specific mom, in this specific situation.” Childrenwho were in kindergarten when we started are moving into middle school after this school year. I have watched them grow, struggle, some of them actually get to the point where they make honor roll regularly at school.  Of course, if at ECF we design good leadership programs, there will be results to show for as well.  But when a child who is learning to read really well also comes to the altar and we share communion week in and week out, there is a connection I am hard pressed to explain and is the essence of grace to me.

These days, as I let go of this ministry and learn about my new job, what I can accomplish is so much more modest.  It is raining today in Southeast Florida and the lettuce I planted is growing. There are three blooms on the tomato plant in the planter and my house is neat, the floor vacuumed enough to look decent.  God’s grace is in all that too, and in the humility of small projects and even smaller triumphs.  My wrists are certainly glad…