Tonight I ate Christmas dinner with a wonderful group of women. Some of them are friends from church and some are part of a place called the Dream Centre. The Dream Centre women are part of a program that's helping them get their lives back on track, whether they're coming out of addictions or abusive relationships or just need a second chance in life.
We had Christmas dinner with all the fixings--turkey AND ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, veggies, buns, and pumpkin pie. The men in our church made it all--and they did a fantastic job!
It's amazing how sharing a meal can foster community. Sitting at a table and passing platters of food takes away the "us" and "them"--there was only "us," a group of women and a few children, gathered to enjoy a meal together. Conversation and laughter filled the small room as we crowded around the table and heaped seconds onto our plates.
I don't know the stories of any of the women I met tonight. I don't know what challenges they've faced or what pain they've lived through. But I'm grateful that they let us laugh with them and ask questions about the Dream Centre and joke with their kids. I'm grateful that they let us be part of their lives for a couple of hours tonight, and that they were willing to be part of ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment