Strange Dynamic

Last week a woman called the church to request help for her adult daughter who recently had surgery. Steve took it not only because he was the only pastor in the office but also because the family lives in Laurel. So, he arranged with people from Calvary to take meals to them for a week.

Our day was Friday. We went out about 6 and discovered that one of their boys and a girl she described as "kind of my niece" had been to our VBS and other kids' things. They were SO excited to see Steve. All we could hear was "hey, Pastor Steve...". It was almost as if we'd brought them gold. They were hungry--on so many levels.

We visited just for a minute so they could eat and get out trick-or-treating. Before we left Steve asked if it would be alright to pray with them. Well, of course they said yes because, well, he's a pastor and that's kind of what they expect him to do. The kids came running into the living room and grabbed our hands. The parents stood in the circle too and held hands.

Here's what I found so odd, such a strange dynamic. These people don't go to church. Yet when they needed something, they knew to look to a church. If the church is doing its job, this is a great opportunity. If not, it's one more nail in the proverbial coffin. It was really a privilege to be able to serve them and minister to them. They promised to come visit Calvary when she's feeling better. I hope they do. We'll pray they do. But I'm not so convinced they really will when the time comes. Right now they're overwhelmed with gratitude that total strangers would bring them meals, love their kids, and offer full acceptance to them. But as the days pass, those feelings will likely fade too.

However, the seeds we've planted this week cannot be undone. Maybe we'll plant more seeds but maybe God will have someone else do that. Some day I hope to be involved in the harvest but ultimately God brings that and gets the glory. We just need to be ready to do whatever part He calls us to. That is true not only in this situation and with us; it's true of you too.