Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel
"Glimpses of God's Grace" by Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel is a delightful collection of short stories that will make you laugh and cry. These true stories are from her work as a Presbyterian pastor in upstate NY, her work as a hospital chaplain, her work as a fire chaplain, her family, and more. They are inspiring stories of faith, hope, and love. Many of the stories fall into the category-" what they don't teach you in seminary." A wonderful gift. Perfect for personal devotions and bible study groups. A great resource for pastors looking for sermon illustrations. Wonderful to read aloud! Unforgetable characters by Pastor Cynthia who wrote, "The Lice Lady: Holy and Hilarious Moments in Ministry. "Glimpses of God's Grace" will touch your heart and soul.
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel received her BS from Rutgers College in 1976, her MDiv (cum laude) from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1996 and her DMin in Preaching from McCormick Seminary in 2003. She and her husband, Jon have been married for thirty years. They have two grown children, Emily and William. She is 19th pastor of The First Presbyterian Church in Waverly, NY. Prior to coming to Waverly, in September of 2007, she served as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Lyons for 11 years. Cynthia loves traveling, running, writing short stories and singing rock and roll.
A Mother’s Love
Luke 2:7 “And she gave birth to her first-born son, wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
I hadn’t seen her in a while and the last time I saw her Mary was expecting. She already had her hands full with a toddler who was tugging at her arm. Mary looked exhausted. She had come to the church for our free lunch program. I asked her how she was doing.
“Okay, I guess.” She answered., “Considering.” She paused and continued, “considering that I gave my baby up for adoption two weeks ago. Tears filled her eyes. “I had a little girl.” She paused to blow her nose.
“It’s been hard, real hard. But Pastor Cynthia I knew I had to do it. Hell, I can’t hardly take care of myself and Frankie here. I don’t have a real job and we’re always having to move. And I knew I couldn’t afford the pampers and the formula. And I knew I couldn’t take care of her. I don’t have my GED and I can’t get a good job. How can I raise my kids on $8.00/hour? I can’t. My baby was beautiful, Pastor Cynthia. They let me hold her once for about a half an hour. She had big brown eyes and curly black hair. The nurses and the social worker said I really shouldn’t hold her any more than that because it would be too hard for me to let her go. They told me that they were going to give her to a real nice family that’s been wanting kids. The mom and dad both have good jobs and live in a nice house- and my baby would have a back yard to play in. I know Pastor Cynthia that it was the right decision—but it was real hard going home without her. My milk came in and my breasts were so sore that I cried. But mostly I cried because I loved her and I had to give her away. But I know that it was the best thing for her. I try and think about her new mom holding her and feeding her and dressing her in pretty baby clothes.” Mary paused and wiped another tear from her cheek.
“Well, she has her own room. It’s for the best. But me? I’m done having kids. Well, I hope I’m done. I asked the doctor to tie my tubes , but he wouldn’t. He said I was too young to make such an important decision. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t know how hard it is. I’m twenty-three, Pastor Cynthia and all I know is that I never want to have to give another baby away.”
