For Pastor Norm. . .

When I was in high school we moved from Oakville to Burlington. My parents agreed that they would stay in one place for my high school years so that I could have some stability. We attended North Burlington Baptist Church which was just down the road from where we lived. We had been attending the Church for a year already but had been driving quite a distance and now it was close enough to walk. The Pastor at that Church at that time was Norm Sowden. I am still grateful when I think back on that time that he was the Pastor and still feel blessed that through Facebook he can still be in my life. I was a very geeky, shy girl with very low self esteem trying to fit into a culture that I had no idea how to fit into and to have him in my life at this point was clearly a God thing. He was always there to greet you on a Sunday morning with a hug. I had a paper route and whenever he drove by he would beep his horn, and it always made me feel really good. He was good at getting us youth involved too, doing the ushering, reading scripture, doing sound, or singing. There was always a place for us in the Church. He had an impact on all the youth because of this; he took an interest in us, in our lives. There is still one memory that is seared into my brain. We had just bought our house and Pastor Norm was over and we were giving him a tour of the house. I was so excited to show him my room. At that point I had no furniture. Being missionaries we did not have a lot of money and my parents were saving for a bedroom suite for me but at that point we still did not have it yet. I showed him my room and he asked where I was sleeping. I explained the furniture issue and told him I would have a sleeping bag till I got my furniture. The next day he arrived with a large hunk of foam for me to sleep on. It was a simple gesture, something small but to this awkward girl trying to fit in it was huge. I just remember being amazed at how much he must have cared to go to trouble to get that for me, and it almost made me cry. To our Church leaders who might read this, it usually is the smallest things that mean so much. It meant so much because he saw me, he saw a need and he answered it without me even asking. I know that my high school life was blessed because you Pastor Norm were in it, you helped me in my walk with God and your example has been crucial in my walk of faith. I was never met with judgement but with love and compassion and when you moved away there was a definite hole in my life. I'm not sure if you know the impact you had on so many youth, but you really did. I often wonder what would have been different if you had been there when I went through those dark days, but I do know when I went to Vancouver and you went out of your way to see me it gave me hope and helped me to hold on. I feel deeply grateful that you were my Pastor and deeply grateful for technology that allows us to be in contact today even though we are across the country from each other.