Saturday Gatherings

A big pot of chili,
Fresh baked bread
Iced tea & salad...
Friends arriving, familiar faces. cheerful greetings.
The blessing spoken, plates are filled and spots are found.

Ah the sweet comfort found in these scheduled gatherings!

I am blessed beyond measure to have friends like these.
All ages gather and community is built, friendship enjoyed.
"like oil poured out"... this unity brings pleasure to Him as well

Precious, precious lives, each one unique, oh so valuable.
The desperate desire to be accepted, loved and valued is nurtured in this ritual.

Listening to stories, laughing together, sharing pain.
God has created a place here and we love to celebrate the ordinary.
Simple, profound and life giving are these shared meals and evenings.

The load is lighter when we gather to eat and play.
Community.
We come away filled and refreshed and so thankful.


Thank you, kind Father.
Such extravagant blessings you heap upon us!

Rescued!

Something that was looming off in the distance for the last year and a half has now grown very, very close...within arms reach actually. I have known for quite some time that my very dear daughter would be taking a trip to Mexico this Spring with her entire Grade 11 class. It was fun to dream about at a distance and to talk about, but some mornings I would wake up and want to cry with the reality that this trip was becoming. Suddenly there were scuba diving classes and immunizations and the funds had to be in. Now it is three sleeps away and I need to let go....and trust God on a whole new level! I am thrilled for her, but at the same time I had been wishing that I would have something exciting to look forward to as well to carry me through these weeks. I didn't know how or when God would provide for me but He has. I don't have to anticipate these weeks alone, because God has set me in the midst of a family in my very own home!

And He, once again, has exceeded my hopes and expectations!!

At the end of March my lovely neice, her vivacious husband and their two precious kids moved in with us!! It was a rescue for them and a rescue for me and we have all been thoroughly enjoying this little community living arrangement. It is temporary but oh so perfect and my cup is filled to overflowing! I awaken to the happy voices of small children chattering away in the kitchen and am greeted with cheery hellos and big smiles from the family when I emerge from my bedroom. I am blessed to have my own room to escape to if I need my quiet time and they completely respect my privacy. They love the great outdoors and the yard is perfect for the kids. I love the little faces pressed against my bedroom window smiling and asking if they are allowed to feed the cat or showing me the latest butterfly they caught.

I am amazed at how healing community can be. To have people to sit and visit with over meals...something so often taken for granted but so life giving and precious. Sharing responsibilies and rejoicing together over the beauty of springtime which is finally bursting out over the landscape. The incredible joy of having small children exclaiming over the miracles of everyday life which we would otherwise miss.

Thankfully this is a very talkative and interactive bunch so I fit in just fine! Perhaps my introverted daughter is overwhelmed at times, but I feel right at home!! I am so grateful to God for this season and can see my future in a new light having experienced this richness. It won't always be this easy and delightful, but for now I will say THANKYOU and will continue to trust God for all the different seasons of life that are yet to unfold. He has proved Himself so faithful and so kind at a time when I really needed to be encircled and loved.