Serving Together.

I have always embraced the idea of serving together as a family. I love the idea of taking our whole family to Africa or Belize or another exotic place to serve and share Jesus, and I hope that that becomes reality some day in the future, Lord-willing.

But the truth is, service opportunities are all around us today, and what better way to invest time in others while also growing together as a family and together in faith. Tonight, we had the amazing privilege of preparing dinner for guests at the Renucci House, which is the hospitality house of our local hospital. This is a place for loved ones of patients to stay and be nurtured while they are in a very scary and threatening time of their lives.

Our family and 2 other families got together, prepared a delicious meal of pork loin, potatoes, rolls, veggies, salad, and desserts. We served the guests while hearing some of their stories. Some of them had children undergoing bone marrow transplants. Others had a loved one fighting for their life. Ironically, I also turned around to find one of my friends from high school, who was there because his father-in-law had experienced a life-threatening heart attack (I am praying for you and your family, Dwight). A little piece of home is often just what these people need at a very unsettled and anxious time.

And these people were truly thankful. So many expressions of thanks. Smiles from people obviously weary and emotionally drained. Hugs of gratitude. People coming back for seconds and thirds....and many requests for recipes!

And to see our families, from youngest to oldest, pitch in and make cookies and serve and play with the kids around them......this is being Jesus' hands and feet. It also introduced the perfect opportunity to talk to the kids about why it is so important to serve others and put others before ourselves.....because Jesus told us to! And, in addition, it encourages others and feels good and enriches our own lives richly and deeply. We will definitely be doing this again soon. Jesus' love is active and calls us to action....and what a better way to see this than hands-on experience!

And here are some gorgeous tulips I found by the side of the road as I was driving back to GR from Holland following my weekend crop retreat. They were brilliant. And I hope your week is, too.