Central Union Church by the early morning light
Good Morning, God
One of my favorite times of the week, is our Central Union Church Wednesday Morning Women’s Prayer Group. As You well know, God, there is a lot of talking and a lot of laughing – as well as prayer. Marge Terpstra told us IT IS ALL PRAYER! And it is. It is a very safe place and a very REAL place. I suppose there is an almost childlike honesty / candor about our verbal free-for-all.
Childlike — I had not considered that word until one of us used it this week — but it struck me as just right. Children — who haven’t learned to try and impress others. Children — who have yet to experience being judged and found wanting. Would that the World were filled with such children!
Rewick Board Room
We meet in the Rewick Board Room — it has a huge table but it isn’t a “grand” room — it is homey and comfortable. Several years ago we discovered that all of us who come are OLDEST DAUGHTERS. I guess only oldest daughters would somehow feel “responsible” enough to rise early and go about the business of prayer. . . or as it sometimes seems — the business of urging You to DO OUR WILL. I’m Smiling — but, I confess, I sighed first. I am just a trifle embarrassed to admit that.
Mind You, God, we DO PRAISE YOU! And we DO TRUST YOU. But we would not be real or honest if we didn’t persist in pleading for You to HEAL and COMFORT and BLESS the people we pray for. We wouldn’t be real if we didn’t ask for healing and help for ourselves, too. There is no shame in being needy. The great sorrow is not to recognize that fact. As Paul has told us ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
This sort of being together WITH YOU and with one another aerates my soul — brings me closer to You and to Your Perspective. THANK YOU! And God, please nudge other first born daughters to come and join us!
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
Hi Margie, This is a beautiful post. Thank you for this blog. I stumbled upon this particular reflection because I had googled Marge Terpstra, and I thought to do that because I saw a comment by someone on Facebook named Jill Terpstra who earned an MDiv from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2008. Is this a granddaughter of Chet and Marge? Jill is a FB friend of two dear friends and colleagues of mine and it would be fun to make this connection with her. It’s been nice to exchange correspondence with Kit recently. We would love to see both of you if you are back east anytime soon. George
Hi George!
Funny thing — Marge just called and said Jill might be a cousin of Chet’s — she will ask her son to check the family records. Meanwhile, Kit and I were delighted to hear from you! Kit plans to run Boston (6th time?) in mid April but we will only be there for a day or two — no extra visiting time, alas! Hugs to your family! Margie