Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
On Thursday morning, March 2, the Monticello Community Prayer Breakfast was held in the cafeteria at Aucilla Christian Academy.
Principal Richard Finlayson gave the welcome and blessed the meal. More than 50 mostly lay people of various Christian denominations were in attendance to enjoy fellowship, a message of faith and a generous breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese grits and biscuits with sausage gravy, along with coffee and orange juice, served by ACA student ambassadors.
Mike Grisham of Gideon's International began the program by leading the group in a cappella singing of “God Bless America.”
Buck Bird introduced the guest speaker, Jefferson County Manager and Planning Official Shannon Metty.
A Colorado native, Metty relocated to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University, where she earned a degree in Public Policy with a certification in Urban and Regional Planning. Metty worked for United Parcel Service (UPS) during college and continued with the company for more than ten years before making a change into the field of public planning. She became involved in Jefferson County first as an intern with the County Coordinator, then took a job in the Planning Department and eventually rose to be the head Planning Official. She continues in that role currently while also recently being selected to serve as the Jefferson County Manager.
“She understands that the community needs to grow,” said Bird in his introduction, “but does her best to ensure that rural beauty is maintained. She would like to be a part of preserving the rich history that Jefferson County has before it fades away.”
When Metty came to the mic, it was not so much in her capacity as a county official but rather as a fellow Christian, and she admitted to being a bit nervous.
“When it comes to God and my relationship to God, that's a little bit private, just like it is for everybody,” she began and, nevertheless, opened up and shared freely of her life story and faith journey. “Sometimes I feel like my relationship might be a little bit different than other people's, because I keep it pretty simple. With all the different denominations out there these days, and everybody has all their own opinions, sometimes I think things can get a bit complicated. It really doesn't need to be. God's there, and whatever Christian denomination you're looking at, he's there for you.”
Metty told how she was born into a Catholic family and says she knew God was always there from the very beginning, as her grandmother and great-grandmother prayed the rosary through a difficult birth. Her parents divorced when she was young, and through the challenges she and her mom faced, she felt God's protection, especially through their German Shepherd dog, Tasha.
“She was the best dog,” Metty reflected. “I felt like God put her there for us. She kept things light. She helped us feel protected. To me that's one of the things God does. He puts those people in your life. He puts those, maybe, animals in your life that really remind you and keep you at peace. It's funny how he knows that's what you need at that time.”
Metty shared further about attending Catholic elementary school, with church on Fridays, and about a close friend whose family took them to mass on Sundays as well.
“What always impacted me the most,” said Metty, “is there's different ways to pray. You can speak to God as a friend at nighttime or in the morning. Or you can sing, and for me it was always the music that gave me the most messages.”
As she grew up, Metty said, like many people her life got busy and she didn't go to church as often. She got married, moved to Monticello and got a new dog, Daisy, at the pound, but she was still working an early shift at UPS in Tallahassee, which made connecting with the local community difficult. As it turned out, the home they had moved into was owned by a Catholic family who lived next door. They encouraged Metty to go to St. Margaret Catholic Church with them and were instrumental in the faith of her youth becoming a regular part of her life again.
“It's not about what religion you are, or anything like that,” said Metty. “For me, being Catholic is a family tradition. That's what brings me back home, that what keeps me grounded personally, and I would like to share that with my children as well.”
Metty ended up being the children's teacher at St. Margaret for a while, and working with kids reinforced for her the importance of keeping faith uncomplicated.
“Sometimes the Bible is so big. It has big words, and it's a big, important book. I try to remind them, God is your friend. You can talk to him all the time. You don't have to use the big words. You don't have to quote necessarily certain scriptures. It's important to understand what they mean. It's important to understand that He's there for you, and He's been there for people all throughout history, and He will continue to be there for us. We just have to ask for help and continue to pray for each other, and pray for things... [but] I try to remind the kids it is not always asking for things. It's thanking and just being grateful for what you have in the moment for what you have in front of you.”
Metty emphasized in closing that's it's pretty simple: God is your friend, and He is there for you.
Metty's talk was followed by the prayer for the sick and distressed as well as communal recitation of The Lord's Prayer, led by Retired Minister Ron Cichon.
The next Community Prayer Breakfast will be hosted by First Baptist Church of Lloyd on Thursday, April 6. Travis Richards, Senior Project Manager at the engineering firm WGI, is scheduled to speak. All in the community are invited to attend.
The Monticello Community Prayer Breakfast is not affiliated with any church. It is a spiritual idea that continues to survive the challenges of today's society because of its community support and individual participation. For more information, contact Gary Wright at (850) 933-5567 or Lgwright39@embarqmail.com.
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