Baby Shower Success!

June 25, 2007 - Monday                  

Current mood:  impressed

Category: Life

My day was pretty much awful today. I don't think anything could have really cheered me up...except for one of the coolest displays of grace I've ever gotten to witness or be a part of!

A friend of mine in the area is expecting a baby soon, but is not in the best situation financially or otherwise. I knew she wasn't planning on having a baby shower, and she has very few friends in the area, so i thought it would be nice to have one for her. I thought of the Celebrate Recovery group at the Collegedale Church, and wondered if they might be willing to help sponsor it. Sure enough, they were willing, but after picking three dates that all fell through, my friend was getting discouraged and figured maybe we shouild just forget it. The last date we could come up with, today, she was scheduled to work. The pastor said she would still get something together for her, and if she could come, great, if not, we would just give her the gifts later.

I tried calling my friend again today to double-check to see if maybe her work schedule had changed, but it hadn't. I'd said a few little prayers that God could work something out, but He hadn't yet. The people at the church said it would be great if we could even get her there for a few minutes. Suddenly, an idea came to mind! Her job is delivering pizza. So I called up the pizza place and asked the manager if I could buy a pizza and have her deliver it and attend her baby shower for 15 minutes. He agreed! (I was hungry anyway, so the pizza was a bonus!)

It turned out so well! I think we were all overwhelmed with the awesome participation! Everything from a carseat, to clothes, to highchair, to diapers! Plus money. Besides the Celebrate Recovery group and several ladies from the church, there were people from the Carolinas and even Australia who'd pitched in! All ages were involved as well. I helped one elderly lady into the room from her car, because she'd forgotten her cane, and another lady told me that her two granddaughters, ages 2 and 4, had helped pick out gifts and were very excited about helping to decorate.

My friend was quite shocked at the generosity as she tried to take it all in. She was amazed that the church would do something like that for her, even though they didn't even know her, and she didn't go to their church!

Maybe this is what it feels like to be Oprah. Or maybe this is what it feels like to belong to a community of believers who truly act out their calling to shower grace and unconditional love to those who need it most. That's what the Body of Christ is really all about.

Currently listening: The Sounds of Yellowstone  10:57 PM