I recently moved to a new Church home and fell into this wonderfully intimate community where people depend on each other in an open and honest fashion and truly do life together. One Thursday afternoon, a text went out letting the Body know our pastor and his wife had lost their unborn child to a miscarriage later than normal. Our Church was broken for this young family and we joined together and lifted them in prayer. I had never really met my pastor's wife but in passing, so I had decided to pray from a distance. Last Sunday, she sat in front of me. During our meet-and-greet time, she turned around and we started chatting. After I expressed my sympathy and told her of my prayers for her and her family, she asked me about my key I was wearing. (Keep in mind, I have been asked no less than 50 times about this key and have shared essentially the same story.) I briefly told her about it and about The Giving Key mission but something was different this particular instance and an overwhelming feeling came over me that it was to her I should give the key. She needed love and support much more than I did. I pray that will serve as a symbol of her community loving and supporting her and her family during this unbearable time of loss and may it be used as a token of just how powerful Christ and the Church really are.
My life's theme has changed since I purchased my key back in April and will be ordering my new key stamped with "Persevere" soon and I look forward to meeting the person to whom I will give it and sharing this story with them.