Sitting at God's Table

Who gets invited to sit at this table? Everyone, right?

We know this to be true. And, this is exactly what came to be this past Thanksgiving Day. Church members, community guests, families on the fringes and our inspiring Interfaith friends were all gathered around God’s table. Everyone was welcome to our Meals with Meaning Thanksgiving meal to fill their bodies, minds and spirits. Guests dined, relaxed and enjoyed the Macy’s Day Parade together. It was a beautiful afternoon. 

The real highlight of the day for most who attended were the heartfelt conversations and connections that took place. God created us to be relational people and last Thanksgiving Day was the epitome of this gift.

The biggest gifts came from those who gave the most. One volunteer was in tears after inspiring a young homeless man to reach out to his grandmother. Another volunteer pushed back his own traditional Thanksgiving Day to help care for others who had no other place to go. The Patton Family helped supply and staff the prize table. The Sorensen’s called winning raffle tickets every 15 minutes! 

Perhaps one of the most humbling stories of the day was from a new volunteer. On his way out, he spoke briefly to a homeless man just released from prison. He needed shoes among many other items. The volunteer swiftly took off his own new sneakers and gave them to the guest in need. The image of a barefoot man walking to his car was quite moving. This all happened so quickly the guest didn’t get the volunteer's name. Seeing the guest weep with gratitude just 3 days out of prison will not soon be forgotten.

Making A Difference

FOR THOSE SEEKING THE UNEXPECTED