Friday, December 09, 2005

Zechariah 4:6

Thanksgiving Potluck

Over the years most people who have come to church events have come by personal invitation. There are notable exceptions. In fact, almost all members of the church were exceptions to this rule... But still, in a town where family ties are binding it usually takes more than an ad in the mailbox to bring someone!. So, when we came back from Leta's wedding just 3 days before Aji Church's annual Thanksgiving Potluck, I hardly knew how to pray for the Thanksgiving Potluck this year.

Neither John nor I did much in the way of inviting folk. If I had been entirely earnest about it, I suppose I could have emailed all my friends and contacts from America. Or maybe sent them post cards. I even considered it... But in the end I decided in favor of being wholly involved with where I was at the moment.

I had however been reading about the difference between our work and the work of God's Holy Spirit. (More on that later.) So when it was my turn to pray - in our house we all pray together every morning - I asked God to let us see His power by bringing some people from an "unexpected quarter".

And he did!

9 HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

You could argue that I might have expected it since one of the boys (the one in red) showed up at Thanksgiving last year with a few of his friends. But 9?! of them! I consider my prayer answered!

There weren't any hundreds of people there. But a backslider came for the first time since this time last year - and brought her mother. And two of Sarah's friends showed up on very short notice. My friend from Russian class, the one I went to Russia with and who told us at last month's meeting that she'd "never been so sad before" (her best friend died after a year battling with cancer) came even though she'd just gotten a leaflet in her post box.

It was GOOD meeting. And, even if it was only me, someone saw the power of God.

That week something wonderful happened every day. But its been so busy that I didn't have time to post. I'm busy today, too. Sarah H. (see her baptism post) is coming, and then another friend is coming for supper, and I can hear Angela downstairs in the kitchen. Later tonight I have to go out for a couple of hours - a goodbye party for our Russian teacher. So who knows when I'll get back to it. But maybe, just maybe, I'll write it all down.

2 comments:

Sarah Lizzy Beth said...

Well even though I did interrupt your blogging entry...I think we all had a splendid time singing Christmas carols around the candle-lite table!!! ^_^

Laurie Elliot said...

Oh yes! It was WONDERFUL! I'm so glad you came - and extra glad that you suggested that we start singing.