Rejuvenation

It started with Shelly getting a text, actually a string of texts from Simon. They ranged from mysterious to plotting. It turned out he wanted to crash Jim and Karen's house for dinner. This, to Shelly and I, seemed a colossally bad idea. They have had a long week, days of meetings, paining a house and just the da before taking thirty youth to Cedar Point. So, trying to be responsible, we told him he was crazy.

In just a few minutes, a little before six, it was time to go pick up the girls, they had been trying to finish up the youth house with the other kids. I expect my wife to be twenty minutes, maybe a half hour, but she is gone for, what seems a long time. As it turns out, once she got there, Simon was asking Karen what is for dinner and Myra showed up asking what we were doing tonight. In spite of the long week and the tiredness, there as a desire for togetherness.

Karen and Jim, invited us all over, we grabbed a few things we had, chips and salsa, brought money for the meats Kim and Myra were buying to grill and headed over. In spite of having the girls change out of their paining clothes and having to put away the things we had pulled out for dinner, we were there pretty early on. It didn't take long, though, for the other to start to trickle in.

Everyone pitched in, helped set up, guided the kids. Everyone made sure the others were tended to. We were one family. A family that had been hurt and needed this more than I realized.

Just a few days before most of the people gathered here had been in a tough meeting. A meeting in which several had been called liars and slanders, suffered accusations for things they had not done. They had been abused and those who had handed them abuse, not only showed no remorse, but they felt justified in their position. Worse, these were supposed to be people of the church who could act maturely. So, that break between expectation and the violence of their accusations had left a wound.

Even though that was not why we were here and was not the topic around the dinner table, we knew. We knew that being here, breaking bread before God, talking about the new music pastor and motorcycle Jeff just sold, was a conversation which said, we are OK. That in spite of the hardships we face, we can still gather together, break bread and be family.

After the meal, the guys pushed away from the dinner table and made our way out to the fire. A small pit, with camping chafes and lawn chairs around it. We leaned back and looked up into the night sky. We appreciated the stars we had and talked about the skies we had seen when we were further from the city lights. We talked about the beauty God had prepared for us. I helped Ethan, Simon's son, whittle a stick to cook marshmallows on.

Soon, the whole area was full of the families. We cooked marshmallows and made S'mores with peanut butter cups. We laughed and bumped each other, just to say I'm there for you. I understand you. Simon is still nuts, but because of him, we healed a little.