(Used by permission)
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In service, if we cease from our own plan and our own activities, leaving the care and ordering of our work to Him, He will plan for us, work through us, and use us as His instruments to accomplish His own purposes of love and mercy. The responsibility will be all His; we need only be obedient.
These words are written on the back of a book, taken from a diary written in 1867. Over a hundred years later, they perfectly describe Thanksgiving Day at Bethany 2008. |
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All day Wednesday, food was delivered to the church. By Wednesday night, both refrigerators were full with more food to arrive on Thursday. On my way home I used the time to just thank God for everything He had done to make the next day possible. We had meals promised to 178 people that were to be delivered later in the day and many more people in our community that would come and eat at church. While thanking Him for all the food, I also confessed that I really didn't know what I was doing trying to organize all of this and make it work. My simple plea was - Lord, make it all work, please!!!
Thursday came, more food arrived along with lots of people willing to do anything to help. Around three hundred people ate and the food seemed to multiply instead of disappear. It was time to fill up the 'to go' boxes. What an awesome sight to look out to Fellowship Hall and see people lined up at all the food tables, filling boxes - FOUR HUNDRED BOXES! Everyone chose their families to deliver to and a large group left to pass out food at the ARCH. Those that didn't go stayed behind to clean up. A little while later, I was putting away decorations when a lady walked up to me and said she had chosen three families to deliver food to, but when she called the last one, they said not to bring theirs because they had unexpedidly received food. She asked, "What do you want me to do with these two meals?" She was the second person to come back with meals that couldn't be delivered. I told them both that, if they would just drive around, I was sure they would find someone to give the meals to. The first lady left, but this lady seemed a little shy about doing that. I noticed on her name tag that her name was Lois. I asked her if she went to church here. She said no, she lived alone in an apartment and someone had passed out fliers telling about our event and she wanted to help. I said, "Well, I am pretty sure if you drive around you will find someone to give those meals to." She said, "OK, I will do that." But she didn't seem at all sure about it. Around three o'clock everything was cleaned up and everyone left. I locked all the doors, turned off all the lights and decided to sit down in the cafe and eat my pumpkin pie. Two bites into my pie, I saw someone walking up the sidewalk. I walked to the doors and saw that it was Lois - tears streaming down her face. By the time I could unlock the door, I was crying and I didn't even know why! It took her a minute to tell me what had happened. She said she was on her way home when she drove by the park and saw a woman and a little boy sitting at a picnic table. She said the woman had on a coat and it wasn't cold outside. She also had a large bag with her. She said, "I parked, told myself to be bold, and took the lunches over to the table and sat them down." Then she spoke to the woman,"I thought you might like to have a picnic lunch compliments of Bethany United Methodist Church." The little boy tapped on the top of one of the boxes and asked, "Is there turkey in there?" She replied, "Absolutely, it is Thanksgiving." She said his eyes got really big and he said, "MOM, GOD IS REAL! We prayed that we would have Thanksgiving dinner." She continued, "When I could speak again, I asked the woman why she was here, was there something wrong?" The woman told her that her husband was abusive and he had abused her son, so she left. She had no family, no one to call and she didn't know what she was going to do. Lois called 911 and they connected her to a shelter. She explained the situation to them and they said someone would come and get them. Lois stayed until help arrived and they left with their turkey dinners! This time, I knew what my tears were all about. All I could think of was - Lord, when you make it work, You make it work perfectly! Thank you dear ones at Bethany, and Lois, for making my Thanksgiving Day one I will never forget.
With a grateful heart,
Lana