Stories

One of the many questions my friends ask when I describe my work with Episcopal Relief & Development is, “Does conversion happen?” It’s a tough question. 

I hated weeding when I was a child. It felt like a sentence to sweaty, itchy, undeserved duty. And I definitely hated picking the cabbage worms off of the broccoli. But it was better than thinking about how many worms I might eat at the supper table. Fresh vegetables are definitely delicious but decidedly risky. 

When Amanda met Ross, it was 2007 in post-Katrina New Orleans. A dog-share turned into love, which over the course of the next few years turned into another dog, and a wedding, and two babies and a wonderful life together.

I struggle during Lent. I tried giving up being snarky one year – that lasted about three hours. I’ve given up coffee, tried to eat vegan, etc., and I generally end up lamenting my inability to retain any sort of Lenten discipline. In recent years, I realized that I had been going about it all wrong.

Episcopalians really hate taking credit; we seem to take great pride in no one knowing about the amazing ways that we are living our Christian call in our communities and throughout the world. My name is Tamara Plummer and as a cradle Episcopalian, I take ownership that I too have at times shied away from being braggadocious about my faith and life in the church.

I write you at the beginning of a new year, the celebration of Christ’s birth still fresh in our memories.  If you are like me, your Christmas tree is still up, and it will be taken down only reluctantly in the days to come.  And then only because you don’t want to be that crazy neighbor who keeps his tree up until March.