TurkeyFest

The Henson family participated in TurkeyFest at VCC this morning. We picked up a food box last weekend and filled it up with all the items that would constitute traditional Thanksgiving dinner fare. These grocery boxes (1,200 plus were delivered today) are meant for those in our city whose life's circumstances are under stress. The church was at work today, serving those specifically singled out by the Holy Spirit.

Listen, that last sentence is not just some cute, church jargon thrown out to sound pure or holy or theologically sound. The Holy Spirit moved among His people today and the church was empowered. The Hensons were empowered. When we arrived this morning we had no idea who would receive the box we had prepared. In fact, a stack of loose sheets of paper with what seemed to be random names and address were sent down each isle. Each family or person participating was to take one and go. As the stack came to me I grabbed the one on top and passed the remaining stack to the guy next to me. Turns out, the person we delivered our TurkeyFest box to happens to live just a couple of miles from us.

Recently, as in yesterday, Hilary and I were talking about our time here in NCH and our desire to get more plugged-in to the community. We were sort of complaining about how disconnected we feel sometimes although we agreed it was our own fault. We are looking for ways to serve in our own neighborhood; meeting new people and letting God use us. So, of the 1,200 grocery boxes delivered all over greater Cincinnati today, we had the privilege of serving a lady right down the street.

Truth is, I don't really believe that stack of papers identifying those in need was random at all. Sure, those in dire circumstance are to be loved and served regardless of where they live. If we had delivered our box to a family in Loveland or Milford, the same Holy Spirit would have empowered us to bless and serve another just the same. I think God may be trying to tell us that our conversation about our neighborhood and our place in it was legit. God blessed us with just the opportunity we were looking for.