W.R. Chestnut was a wonderful man. He was a good natured, supportive, bright man who loved his life in Lindsborg. He was our beloved Clocksmith. I only knew him over a year, but appreciated his zeal for life in this sweet town and his support of us at Connected.
W.R. passed away on Sunday.
Used without permission, but here's the link to the "Sunflower Living" original source with a great article about W.R.
I was glad to get to be among those gathered to celebrate his life today in Mass.
During worship the Priest invited the Catholics in the house up for communion and the rest of us up for a blessing if we so desired. It had been a long time since I’d been offered to be blessed and when my friend Pastor Dean got up to go forward I popped up for my blessing too. Plus, I was sitting in his way, so everything was working out in this scene. We had been instructed about how to approach the Priest so he knew we were only to be blessed and not commune. I followed directions and was blessed.
As I walked back to my seat, I admit that I felt a little let down. I don’t know what I expected with the blessing. Our local Priest seems like an outstanding guy and I felt that the service of worship was lovely. The blessing just left me wanting for something…
Tomorrow is the last day that Rev. Noni Strand will serve as the Chaplain of Bethany College. Noni is everything that I wish I could be as a minister. She is personable with everyone (!), intelligent, handles herself beautifully in worship and is full of energy. She is the best college Chaplain I have ever met. I was one myself for two years and have been around many others. There are many great Chaplains! Noni is the best. Others feel the same.
Not only was Noni my college Chaplain over 20 years ago, she officiated our wedding! This is straight out of our album ;)
Here’s the thing: although the Priest offered a nice blessing for me, it’s the people around Lindsborg from whom I feel the most blessed. W.R. blessed me. He will be missed. Noni reveals God to us. She blesses me.
We all can be a blessing in the ways we choose to live our lives. The decisions we make about the everyday things matter. …like buying a fairly traded picture frame instead of one from the cheapest place possible that doesn't insure safe working conditions and a fair wage for the producer… taking time to chat with business neighbors… offering a meal to the gal around the corner who seems like she is only limping along…
God can be known through the Priest and through everyone and everything. Let’s be open to it all.
May we live in to that goodness and spread it around liberally.