I usually am not terribly personal in my writing, but this week, I am bringing to light an experience from the trenches of my personal life. Welcome to a glance inside the life of a pregnant pastor.

In August, my partner and I are expecting are first child and, well second child too, since the ultrasound tells us there are two babies in there. The experience of being pregnant in a church is a challenging and wonderful one. It’s wonderful in that I am surrounded by a community of folks that are like my family.

As family, they predict the genders of the babies, give parenting advice, and comment on the size of my belly that seems to grow on a weekly basis. What is challenging is not the advice given or even people patting your belly. It is the generosity that is poured out in anticipation of the birth of these babies.

A week ago the church threw a baby shower for our babies to be and it took an hour and a half to open gifts. An hour and a half; and that was working at the speed of a child who doesn’t read cards on Christmas morning.

Expecting two at the same time is a bit overwhelming when you consider all the baby “stuff” you’re required to get if you want to be considered a prepared parent. I entered that baby shower overwhelmed with the stuff we needed, and left overwhelmed with the stuff we got.

Generosity is a tricky thing. It’s wonderful and easy to offer, but difficult to receive. Generosity is not usually something you can repay, because in its very nature it means over and above what is customary. You can’t predict or prepare for it. Generosity isn’t meant to be repaid, but accepted.

This is perhaps one of the most challenging experiences of the whole pregnancy — the acceptance of generosity experienced at these showers. I can’t do a darn thing but say "thank you" and deal with the difficulty I have accepting that the gesture cannot be returned in full.

Ironically, it is what we as pastors preach on almost a weekly basis. We ask our members to accept the extravagant and generous love of God. And yet, when I experienced this generous love of God through the medium of my church family, I found it to be way more difficult said than done.

Every pastor needs to be preached to; it keeps us reasonable and grounded. I am so thankful for the sermon I received a few weeks ago from my church family. With each thank you card I write, I am reminded that generosity is never repaid and always experienced.

May you experience your own sense of the generous in the days to come, and may you have the courage to accept it.

Darcy is the Associate Minister at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor. She can be reached directly via email.