Against All Odds

Last week our church began planning a Saturday barbecue for our friends and neighbors. Then midweek one of the five families in our church informed us of their decision to move out of town in a matter of days. We knew about the move but expected to have weeks or months to help them pack and to say goodbye. We were shocked and saddened and thought about canceling the cookout. Instead, we decided to press on.

Our kitchen flooded on Thursday even though it hadn't rained for days. We still haven't identified the source but are waiting for the plumber and insurance adjuster to find it. The wood has absorbed too much water to salvage, so it appears we are facing a major renovation in the near future. We considered canceling the barbecue but decided to press on. The water drained off the kitchen floor that evening.

On Friday the boys and I took a walk around the block and invited many of our neighbors to the cookout. Chris and Jenna, the couple who are moving, were busy packing and weren't sure they could even make it. We also couldn't get in touch with one other family in our small, five-family church. Again, we thought about canceling but decided to press on.

Saturday morning Ben woke up like a bear and was inconsolable. His bad mood progressed into a fever just after lunchtime. Of course, we considered canceling but again we decided to press on. By that time we had invested too much prayer, time, and energy into planning, and seeing it through had become something of a challenge.

Our church members arrived at 4:00 pm - all except the one family we never reached and Chris who was preparing for the move. Also, the girls who live one street over wanted to be here for church and not just the barbecue. We were thrilled to have them. We had a quick meeting then the guests began arriving at 5:30 pm. Among those who showed up were a Jewish couple, a family with six kids, a British fitness instructor and her daughter, and a single mom and her son. It was quite a sampling of our culture and made for an exciting afternoon. The last guests left at 10:45 pm, and by all accounts it was the best barbecue we've hosted to date.

enjoying the beautiful weather with our friends

applying temporary tattoos in the kitchen

enjoying good food and friends