It came in the mail yesterday, an envelope with no return address.
It came addressed to me, but in care of Kathrynzj’s church.
I have to tell you that although she hasn’t made a fuss about it, an envelope with no return address coming to the church has, in the time since she came out, brought the kind of mail you show to the security team and put in a file where you don’t have to see it again unless more comes and you might need to call the police.
An envelope with no return address has also carried the kind of mail both our denominational execs refer to as “non-existent,” because that’s their policy for anonymous complaints, although I have some ferociously brave colleagues elsewhere who have read such letters aloud in church or posted them for all to see, letting anonymous bullies know that fear will not help keep their existence a secret.
An envelope with no return address, and a blurred postmark, worries us.
Kathrynzj brought it home gingerly and stood beside me while we steeled ourselves, and I opened it.
Here is what I found inside.
Oh.
Well, then.
Well, then! Whoever you are, thank you!
At Kathrynzj’s suggestion, we are keeping the $20, given that the RevGal bank account is in Texas, and making a donation to the RevGalBlogPals Fundly campaign in honor of Anonymous, who showed us that sometimes an envelope with no return address holds good news. Sometimes, even when you’re expecting the worst, grace prevails.
This post is beautiful and troubling. I rejoiced to read Mary Ann McKibben-Dana’s sermon about the day a bucketful of crayons greeted Kathryn at the congregational meeting in which her terms of call were voted upon. I grieve to know she has received anonymous hate mail worthy of being shown to a security team. You are ever in my prayers, both of you.
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Yes, and…. exhale.
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indeed! the RIGHT kind of surprise…
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Fabulous surprise…. And so thankful you didn’t have that gut wrench feeling at the contents. They really are the worse, and mercifully in the past for me since I moved here
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awww, and a calendar!! xoxoxo exhale………..
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guess we can’t always judge an envelope by its lack of return address — so glad that you found a pleasant surprise this time!
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Love this story…sorry for all the other letters that were hateful and mean. I’m glad this surprise was such a lovely one!
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