I'm not sure I even know where to start with this post. I had talked a little in my last post about the things that I received from some incredible women I know for my birthday party with Bright Blessings, but I did not know just how much it would mean to me until Monday evening.
On Monday, I got an e-mail from the volunteer coordinator at Bright Blessings asking me if I could change my menu from lasagna to something else because another group was bringing spaghetti the night before. Because one of my amazing friends generously donated $30, I said "Sure. I can do tacos." Without thinking twice or worrying about how I was going to pull together a meal for 25 people by myself.
Tuesday night, my oldest friend (and I mean that she has known me the longest, not that she's old) went with me to buy taco stuff because she had so graciously committed to helping me with the party tonight. When we got to the register, I paid the $30 I'd been given and she paid $8 out of pocket. For tacos for 25 people.
But, I still have all of the stuff I needed to make lasagna.
And we have an April party.
Do you know what that means?
It means that the two times Jesus fed the multitudes in the gospels of the Bible were not isolated incidents. It means that God has some excellent math skills. It means that I don't have to worry about next month's meal and how I'm going to get it together because He multiplied lots of small acts of kindness into something greater. Isn't that just amazing?
He turned it into a math lesson, a lesson about giving, a lesson about kindness, a lesson about filling up the storehouse, a lesson about just showing up and waiting on something wonderful to happen. All I did was show up and He took care of the rest. It is shocking and astounding.
It's like affirmation that parties are a Jesus thing.
I got to thinking tonight after we left that I think if Jesus were still here, He'd totally hang out at that house. As someone who still isn't sure about the church thing, this was a pretty important thought. We tend to think about church being the only place that Jesus hangs but in the Bible, He had more street cred. I learn more about the heart of God in a homeless shelter than I could have ever been taught by someone else in a church. Because that place is magical.
All of the bad in the world gets transformed into something lovely and beautiful. Women learn their worth and value. They build friendships that will likely last forever. Their children learn what it looks like to claw your way out of adversity. I learn the new rules for multiplication. I learn to never give up or give in because I know lots of women who don't give up or give in, so why should I? I learn what it feels like to accept help and how freeing it feels to not be in control all the time. I learn that when I get out of my own way, nothing is impossible because I have really, really amazing friends carrying me. I learn what a true community looks like and I learn that the things that make Jesus smile look a lot 27 people holding hands and saying the blessing around the dining room table. It looks a lot like a candle on a cupcake. It looks a lot like a 29 year old mother of 3 talking about her dreams in the kitchen.
It looks a lot like you.
It looks a lot like me.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Celebrations
A lot has happened to me this week and I keep saying that I'm going to sit down and write but then I don't feel inspired or I'm too tired or I sell our furniture on Craigslist without telling Daniel, but that's a story for another day.
First, I got an email from the volunteer coordinator at Bright Blessings telling me that we have a party next week and there are now 19 residents because the shelter took in a new family after Christmas. I texted Sassy to tell her but our friendship hasn't been the same for awhile and she has a lot going on in her own life so I'm going to be doing this party solo.
Except, not really.
My heart belongs to a group of 1,013 incredible women on Facebook. So, this post is really about them and what they've done this week.
When I told them about the party and how I was going at it alone this time and how scared I was because I haven't done one alone, they all pitched in.
I got lasagna noodles for my dinner from New Hampshire, 12 boxes of cake mix and 8 cans of icing from Texas, delivered to my house and ordered through Amazon. And that was just the beginning.
Yesterday, our group got together all over the country to celebrate the life of a little boy gone too soon, born to one of us. His name was Jake and he was born at 29 weeks and lived 10 hours before he went to Heaven to have endless cake and dance with the angels. We celebrated and remembered all of the other angels who were gone before the world got a chance to know them. We pulled together a picnic for almost 40 people and we had cake and released balloons and it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. We were all so blessed and honored to be there together and to be invited to grieve and celebrate one another's trials and triumphs.
When we left the party with our hearts full, I also left the party with a trunk full of things to make my own party happen this week. I got 5 pounds of mozzarella, a jar of parmesan, 2 boxes of cake mix, 4 jars of pasta sauce, money to buy ricotta and hamburger for lasagna, party decorations, 48 bottles of water, 32 juices boxes and 8 two liter drinks. All because I said "I'm scared. I can't do this alone." And they said "You don't have to."
Just Friday, I told a friend that I used to think birthday parties for homeless children was my calling and it used to be the thing I thought I could do to make a difference but I had started to wonder if my calling were something else. Something "more important" because parties are such a "first world thing" and children don't really need big parties because they don't know the difference. What I found out yesterday is that God thinks parties are just as important as mission work in a foreign country, just as important as ending homelessness for good, just as important as building schools and hospitals, just as important as clean water.
Throwing parties can be God's work. Jesus, himself, loved a good party. He turned water into wine at a wedding so that everyone could continue to celebrate. And all of the wedding goers were astounded and amazed and thankful and Jesus was all "Oh, it was nothing, really."
But it's not actually "nothing."
Everytime someone would say we're so awesome for throwing parties for homeless children I would say "Oh, it's nothing, really." And in the back of my mind, I would think "It's not as important as what other people are doing."
What I learned yesterday is that to the people who are the party goers, the people whose life you are celebrating, the people who have invited you to share their joys, it isn't nothing. To them, it's everything. And that's all Jesus really called me to do. He called me to be everything to somebody, anybody, everyday. And being everything doesn't mean big, heroic acts everyday. It means noticing people. It means connecting. It means being there. It means listening. It means when someone says "I can't do this alone." I say "It's okay. You don't have to."
And one evening each month, it means showing up with dinner and cake and saying the blessing and singing Happy Birthday.
The women who so selflessly contributed to Jake's Day yesterday and the party with Bright Blessings on Wednesday will tell you that it was nothing, they were happy to help, it's "just lasagna noodles" or "just cake," "just drinks," "don't worry about it." But I've come to learn that it isn't just any of those things.
It's the exact thing I think Jesus would have done.
It's a blessing.
It's a human connection.
It's love and grace and humility.
We all have a little.
Who are you going to share yours with?
***Update: I added pictures of Jake's Day but the fabulous photographer doesn't want credit even though she is amazing.***
First, I got an email from the volunteer coordinator at Bright Blessings telling me that we have a party next week and there are now 19 residents because the shelter took in a new family after Christmas. I texted Sassy to tell her but our friendship hasn't been the same for awhile and she has a lot going on in her own life so I'm going to be doing this party solo.
Except, not really.
My heart belongs to a group of 1,013 incredible women on Facebook. So, this post is really about them and what they've done this week.
When I told them about the party and how I was going at it alone this time and how scared I was because I haven't done one alone, they all pitched in.
I got lasagna noodles for my dinner from New Hampshire, 12 boxes of cake mix and 8 cans of icing from Texas, delivered to my house and ordered through Amazon. And that was just the beginning.
Yesterday, our group got together all over the country to celebrate the life of a little boy gone too soon, born to one of us. His name was Jake and he was born at 29 weeks and lived 10 hours before he went to Heaven to have endless cake and dance with the angels. We celebrated and remembered all of the other angels who were gone before the world got a chance to know them. We pulled together a picnic for almost 40 people and we had cake and released balloons and it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. We were all so blessed and honored to be there together and to be invited to grieve and celebrate one another's trials and triumphs.
When we left the party with our hearts full, I also left the party with a trunk full of things to make my own party happen this week. I got 5 pounds of mozzarella, a jar of parmesan, 2 boxes of cake mix, 4 jars of pasta sauce, money to buy ricotta and hamburger for lasagna, party decorations, 48 bottles of water, 32 juices boxes and 8 two liter drinks. All because I said "I'm scared. I can't do this alone." And they said "You don't have to."
Just Friday, I told a friend that I used to think birthday parties for homeless children was my calling and it used to be the thing I thought I could do to make a difference but I had started to wonder if my calling were something else. Something "more important" because parties are such a "first world thing" and children don't really need big parties because they don't know the difference. What I found out yesterday is that God thinks parties are just as important as mission work in a foreign country, just as important as ending homelessness for good, just as important as building schools and hospitals, just as important as clean water.
Throwing parties can be God's work. Jesus, himself, loved a good party. He turned water into wine at a wedding so that everyone could continue to celebrate. And all of the wedding goers were astounded and amazed and thankful and Jesus was all "Oh, it was nothing, really."
But it's not actually "nothing."
Everytime someone would say we're so awesome for throwing parties for homeless children I would say "Oh, it's nothing, really." And in the back of my mind, I would think "It's not as important as what other people are doing."
What I learned yesterday is that to the people who are the party goers, the people whose life you are celebrating, the people who have invited you to share their joys, it isn't nothing. To them, it's everything. And that's all Jesus really called me to do. He called me to be everything to somebody, anybody, everyday. And being everything doesn't mean big, heroic acts everyday. It means noticing people. It means connecting. It means being there. It means listening. It means when someone says "I can't do this alone." I say "It's okay. You don't have to."
And one evening each month, it means showing up with dinner and cake and saying the blessing and singing Happy Birthday.
The women who so selflessly contributed to Jake's Day yesterday and the party with Bright Blessings on Wednesday will tell you that it was nothing, they were happy to help, it's "just lasagna noodles" or "just cake," "just drinks," "don't worry about it." But I've come to learn that it isn't just any of those things.
It's the exact thing I think Jesus would have done.
It's a blessing.
It's a human connection.
It's love and grace and humility.
We all have a little.
Who are you going to share yours with?
***Update: I added pictures of Jake's Day but the fabulous photographer doesn't want credit even though she is amazing.***
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