My name is Geoffrey Schmitt. Geoffrey means God’s peace. Schmitt is a German version of Smith. I guess it is not surprising I ended up drawn to the ministry where I could be a wordsmith, hopefully bringing God’s peace
I grew up in Bath NY. Bath was a great town in those days. Bustling enough as a county seat with about 8,000 population, good schools, and special events like the Dairy Festival and the oldest continuously running County Fair. It is the Gateway to the Finger Lakes. We learned to swim in Keuka lake. We ice skated winters on smaller but closer Salubria lake next to the Drive Inn.
I did well all through school, academically and socially. Pictures of me in grade school are humorous. I grew tall early and am always head and shoulders above my classmates. I reached my current 6’2” in 7th grade. I participated in football, basketball, track, and tennis.
Perhaps the most significant event of those years was the death of my father. He had a heart attack and died the Friday before my Senior year. This left me angry at God, my dad for dying and myself for not being able to save him. My childhood faith was ruined. I considered suicide. But as I asked myself what I believed in the answer that came was Truth. In retrospect Jesus saved me then in the form of ultimate Truth. I thought if I kill myself I will know that truth but I won’t know the truth about the rest of life ahead of me
I went off to college to major in recreation of all things. There was a good deal of recreating going on as is often the case. One day while staring in the mirror I ask myself in some despair what good am I? What purpose do I serve? Can’t I just be? It seemed to me a voice answered and said, Yes. And I am.
This led me back to church and eventually to seminary. During the first week I met Lily Constantine. At the end of the first year we married. I took a year off for an internship as a college chaplain in Burlington VT. Before that year was up Lily was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and later also with Scleroderma. Her prognosis was only for three years. She was told to go home and enjoy the time she had left. Instead, we bought a canoe. Lily lived for 29 years. Much longer than the canoe.
During the fourth year of our marriage Lily became unexpectedly pregnant. However, because of the scleroderma her womb was unable to expand and she lost the baby. It was very traumatic for both of us. In the aftermath she had a near death experience of being in heaven with Jesus and our son. This strengthen her faith dramatically and she proved to be a vital witness for the lord in healing ministry.
Lily finally succumbed to her illnesses New Year of 2004. We had been very involved in clown ministry in one parish and so per her request she was laid out in her Flower the Clown costume in the parish hall. Many Cursillo and Kairos friends came to sing and tell Lily stories.
Later I met and married my present wife, Brenda. In the 12th year of our marriage Brenda’s daughter died of cancer and we took Brenda’s 10-year-old grandson Aiden to raise.
Our household now consists of the three of us plus two papillons, a prize winning German Shepherd, and Gracie an African Grey parrot who can say anything, and often does!
What my life has taught me is that suffering comes to us all and is no respecter of person or creed. It is the common denominator of our shared humanity. Lily might have gone home as the doctor told her to and waited to die and I believe had she done that death would have found her. Instead we bought a canoe that made memories I carry to this day.
It’s my hope some of what I share here may be like a canoe for you.
God’s Blessings
The Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Schmitt