A mix of honor and fear

Today was a really interesting day. It started off as any other Sunday. Got up, got dressed and was about to head out the door when the phone rang. "Can you pick up grape juice on the way to ch^rch?" I figure, no big deal, sure.

So after visiting three stores, before 10:30 in the morning, I finally find some. Then I hit the pavement to make it to the ch^rch on time.

I get there and find out that I'm participating in Communion. I mean, really. Like serving the elements. I've NEVER done that before! What a HUGE honor, and at the same time I'm scared to death, because this means pr@ying in public and in RUSSIAN.

Probably the world's shortest Communion pr@yer, and only one word choice error (I can't believe I messed up something so simple). But, it was an embarrassment (I thought) to turn around and have the ENTIRE congregation smiling at me. Really big smiles. I thought it was because I made a bigger mistake than I realized. Turns out it was happiness. I'm the first American in all the years who's pr@yed in Russian at our ch^rch. So now I'm even more humbled and resolved to learn a bit more of the required language to do a better job if the opportunity comes again.