I believe very strongly in community and Christians taking care of each other. Today it all got put to the test and I am glad to say I found it to be a beautiful experience.
For the past two days or so Theresa has been having sharp, abdominal pains. The doctor said take some Tylenol and it helped, but not a lot. She, James and Margary stayed home from church today and at the time they hadn’t decided whether or not she was going to the hospital. It was a great scene at church. We closed around Raquel and the Lansberry children to support them and the rest of the church closed around us. I sat with Raquel and the children, Crystal had Noah, Kathey had the three older Ben-Ezra children and Seth was wandering with Justice keeping an eye on both rows. At our church we celebrate communion by each row going up to the front and eating and drinking together. Well, Seth decided we were all going to go together. So when our turn came around two rows stood up and we ushered ten children down the aisle and got them all sitting down. Seth brought up the rear with Kathey which is always a touching sight to see. The bread and wine was passed among us and I was so torn between chuckling at the craziness and crying at the beauty.
After lunch Raquel and Lansberry children came over to our house because James and Theresa had gone to the hospital. They found that she had appendicitis and they had to operate to take her appendix out. One of our elders, Bryan, and his wife Kim were going to the hospital to be with James and care for Margary. Their two daughters went with them and their five boys and one boarder came and stayed with us. It was fun and crazy and the hand of God was in everything.
We needed to feed all these people. Well, Crystal had gone shopping for a month instead of just a week last time she went. So we had makings for three meals worth of spaghetti. We were trying to figure out plates and cups and I thought we might have some in a far off cupboard. I climbed up, open the cupboard door and was showered with Styrofoam bowls and plastic cups. Crystal laughed and asked if there were maybe twelve baskets up there.
We ate, we cleaned up, and then Raquel and I went over to the Lansberry house to pick up some stuff for tonight. I ahve to laugh at us because we had to hardest time remembering that they were only going to be staying with us one night. Raquel was going through the house trying to find anything she might want. Maybe she’d need a book or her crocheting or something else she hadn’t thought of yet. Thankfully she started laughing at herself which freed me up to laugh with her at her.
When we got back a movie and some games had broken out. Raquel and I played Carcassone with Samuel E. (yes, another Samuel). I won. There was a game in the rec room, a game in the dining, a game in the kitchen, a movie in the living room and just general playing going on all over the house. It was a madhouse. And it was such a joyous time.
We are still in process of putting ten children to bed upstairs. They are finally getting the sleepover they keep talking about. Seth is about to leave and take food and company down to James at the hospital and then I don’t know what will happen next. I expect tomorrow will be another day quite a lot like this one. Full of chaos and bother, tears I expect and lots of yelling. And it will be a wonderful day because this is what community is for. It’s for getting inside each other lives. I spent most of my day going from chaos to chaos and I consider it a day well spent. I was just talking about how I want to show these people I love them and here, here’s a chance. Yeah, I know, it’s just the Lansberrys; I’d do it anyway. But it’s different with the rest of the church coming along side us and doing their part as we do ours. It’s a thing of beauty. It’s what life is supposed to look like.
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