We expected to be sequestered in our homes Tuesday due to tropical storm Edouard. What do you do if you're stuck at home all day? --Invite the neighbors over! Even though Edouard turned out to be little more than a nice rain shower, we took advantage of the opportunity the little storm provided and spent some great time with our neighbors, eating and playing cards. Everyone brought something to eat, ranging from biscuits with homemade jelly to take-out pizza, and we just hung out. Suddenly a potentially wasted night turned into a great evening of relationship-building.
One little girl who has never really been willing to speak to me before spontaneously started playing hide-and-seek with me in the kitchen last night (I'm not a natural at playing with young children, but I'm not using that as an excuse not to engage). That moment took a year of trust-building, seeing me on a daily basis, and seeing me interact with her parents before she decided I was okay. This isn't microwave cooking! But who knows what the payoff will be some day? We want to be friends rather than a strangers when it counts in her life.
Nertz--my wife's favorite card game--and appetizers aren't exactly prayer and bible study, but God is teaching me that times like these are more important spiritually than I thought for many years. Every time we get together we learn new things about each other. Opportunities to help each other always seem to pop up, like advice on car repairs or offers to dog sit while a family is on vacation. The seeds of community are planted, one finger food at a time.
