it came early

 This week has been rich in two ways...

It's been rich with the Elders...exploring, playing, chatting, listening to the kiddos, catching up on so much life and talking about the future, doing some things we couldn't do in Haiti, listening to the kids share lots of their lives from Haiti.  Remembering lots that has been, mourning lots that's been lost, better knowing how to pray...so much of all our hearts, of all our children, wrapped up in Haiti and always will. It's been GOOD.

I don't know what to do with the last 13 years. I don't know what to do with the Elders life, or with our own, or the lives of many others poured out, or with our friends and family in Haiti. I don't know what to do with ANY of it but TRUST Him with it. Trust Him to water what needs watered, to keep planting through our brothers and sister what needs planted, to keep BEING at work, to keep guiding, to keep being on the move, to keep doing what only He can do (which, is pretty much ALL of it.)

The second rich element has been the realization of how rich our community here has become, even if this wasn't a place we ever imagined ourselves having community.

I asked seven women for help, and they have above and beyond come through...in feasts and toys and clothes and moreso...in unexpectedly sacrificial friendship and giving. But I've also been blessed and humbled by the people we NEVER approached who have just heard or noticed and gone out of their busy way to help as well. A coworker at Wesley who sent home beef brisket and potato salad because he knew the house was full, and another who brought it. A neighbor we haven't seen or heard from in a while who somehow heard and dropped off a Costco delivery. A dear friend from church who reached out to send a roast for Sunday dinner, and then happened to throw in breakfast muffins and sandwiches for lunch and yogurt sticks and a big bag of apples.  A dear friend making Irish Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert tonight.

I mean, I have been astounded and overwhelmed by unmerited grace and love, for us and for our total strangers, during this time.  I have spent every afternoon playing with kiddos and chatting with Julie, not cooking and running to the store yet again. We have had a friend or neighbor touch base every day with a meal and a hug and kindness, and man alive, I'll just never forget this Christmas.  

Things in America are NOT supposed to be like this, and they ARE.  Unmerited, overwhelming community is not what the US is supposed to be known for, but man, have I experienced it this last week. Men and women from different churches and from not churches and from lots of different places all helping us, many unasked, just because.

Matt was sharing at Tuesday night Bible study about how sometimes Christmas is over, and you can't help but feel disappointed...like you had all this expectation, and now it's over and you missed it. 

But instead of missing it this Christmas, I found it EARLY...unexpected hope, unexpected help, unexpected, unmerited, Jesus COME.  

So grateful for that in the Elders, so grateful for that in this corner of the world, so thankful for Christ, come truly for us EACH.