My Journal #2

A Momentous Undertaking

Yesterday had been especially trying. The alarm went off and as I turned over to press the snooze button, The Dog went into attack mode and went after my hand again. Let's just say this isn't "Attack and release" This is KILL mode. I have to literally push her off me. Hand bleeding I trudge to the bathroom and stiffen as I plunge the hand under cold water. Already the attack is causing me to melt down. In me it forms as a heat, cold sweat and the alarm to lay down before you fall down. Dog is now hiding under the bed. She knows what she's done.

I manage to get to work where the day isn't going well and my hand is feeling the effects of infection setting in. Heat, tingle and I'm feeling flushed off and on.
After work I head to the urgent care(my first time there with a dog bite) they want me to report it. The law, they say and hand me an incident report. I hate it. I know she doesn't mean to do it but somewhere there is a trigger to sudden movement.

Antibiotics, a refill on a regular prescription, I get a quick KFC and head home. At last I am seated in the recliner and resting. I get a phone call from my younger sister. After a few moments her newly engaged daughter is demanding to speak to me. (after I've ohh'd and ahh'd over her wedding dress)
"Auntie, N-and I have a question, a request to ask you." She then goes into detail about where her reception will be held and other details. "N- has asked me to ask you. Well, we both want to ask you if---Ah--- Um--" By now I have no idea what's coming and I'm a bit curious. I should have been apprehensive.  "We want to know if you'll officiate our wedding.  You know both of us. We know you and feel you will be the best person to bring in the religious tradition and still be okay with the fun side of us." (Their theme is Star Wars meets Harry Potter)I hemmed and Hawwed trying to think of a way out out of it.
"I'm not a minister. I'm not even close. Other than the fact I'm a preacher's daughter." I don't remember all what she said but, "You can just go get a license like Grandpa did and marry us!"
I have no idea what made me agree, but the whooping and Hollering did my heart good.
Her mother comes back on the phone with a big smile, "I'm so glad you're going to do this for them. They love you and feel you are the family representative of what they want."
Again I understand.
As I sat alone after the call I thought about this huge responsibility. I am the oldest Aunt on her mother's side. Although they don't attend my church, D- was raised around the church. Attending Sunday School until she was a teen, attending the summer Campmeeting and assisting a friend with her myriad of nieces and nephews.  They all attend our special events and my sister is a caregiver to many of the elderly in our church. One person asked her, "If you like the church so much, why don't you go there?"  AH the big question.  Commitment. That's another story.
When my other niece became engaged, she asked my father to marry them. He'd been a minister and a pastor but never was ordained. They got him ordained on paper and though he was very ill with cancer (see my story about him in earlier posts) he married them. I guess that's where D & N got the idea.
How in the world would I get ordained?
I looked on line and found out Washington doesn't require the officiate to be registered. So I thought. "Okay, I'll just do it." Further inspection of the code says the person must be OFFICIAL. They list the types of people allowed to officiate, none of which I happen to be.  This site allows you to sign up as one of their "ministers" and become ordained with a certificate and ID#.  I took their little test after reading about the qualifications and passed the tests. Not that they are required, but It was helpful to know a little more than I did before.
On February 14, 2018 I became an ordained minister. 

To tell the truth I feel like a fraud. Then after a brief conversation we came to the conclusion its a matter of semantics. I have been a Christian for many years. I've taught Sunday School, drove a Sunday School van, sang in the choir, directed the Christmas and Easter dramas for the past 7 years. What is a minister if its not spreading the gospel? Does it mean to stand behind a pulpit and preach? There are missionaries that never "preach" but teach and lead by example.
I'm not a perfect person. My guess is to these two young people I represent what they deem as "Christian" and an example of what they want blessing their union.
I'm okay with that. Its still a daunting task, but I have a 8 months to get used to it.