Odd and Wonderful

One thing I find odd about Christmas and Thanksgiving is that people notice hunger and poverty at these times. People who never think about the homeless or poor suddenly do at these times. They even notice that there are people who are doing without sitting beside them at church week in and week out.

One thing I find wonderful about Thanksgiving and Christmas is that people notice hunger and poverty and give. At Church of the Cove we’ve asked people to give. People who are as affected by the recession we’re in as anyone else. Not to just one thing, but three! One of those was to provide the items to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal for families we’ve noticed were in need.

On Sunday, November 22nd, people brought those items to the fellowship meal. When the line was started for people to fix their plates, the offer was made that some could come out and help put together those boxes of items. Our goal was to provide for twelve families. When the call to help was given, about fourteen people arrived to lend a hand!  In a matter of moments thirteen boxes were put together, though we were short a couple items for five boxes, eight were ready to go.

Consider that precisely five of the planned recipients were in the building, and three volunteers to deliver were there as well. See, the people we’d decided to assist are within our own church body. I had the joy-filled honor of going to the five recipients to let them know to be sure to pick up their box on the way out, that their Thanksgiving Meal was taken care of. Tears flowed. Appreciation was expressed. And they all wanted to know if there wasn’t someone else who might need it more than they. These are folks who are truly struggling, yet they wanted to be absolutely certain that those who might be in worse straits would be taken care of.

By the time all the deliveries have been done, we will have assisted fourteen families with their Thanksgiving meal (an extra box was provided in its entirety). I’m so in awe of how God uses us to bring these miracles into people’s lives — because as I looked into the eyes of one person receiving a box, I saw the relief, the amazement, the joy of knowing that an already-stretched budget would not have to be stretched further and they would get to enjoy the traditional meal — a miracle.

How odd that people don’t recognize those who hunger around them until November and December. How wonderful that they think of them and step up to help. How awesome that those same people help to stock and re-stock our pantry to assist people throughout the year.

What do you think? What’s odd and wonderful to you about this season?

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