impact

My church, Delaware Christian, worked around town over the weekend. We call it Impact Delaware, partnering with the Council for Older Adults and Common Ground Free Store Ministries.

Through the council, our volunteers were assigned to various senior citizens who need help with yard work: raking, mowing, weeding, mulching, window washing. While working, our teams also made an effort to chat with the people, and pray with them if they wanted. Though the chores make a difference for these folks, I believe the contct with friendly and caring people makes a bigger difference.

The weather was horrible: cold, drizzly and windy. But every team was working and serving with a smile.

I was assigned to photograph our teams at work. Here's one of my favorite photos: a dad and son working together.

                  And another dad and his children took a moment to pose with their new friends:

Our pastor, Al, and his family served lunch to clients at the free store.

And lots of other work went on there, too.

My friend Sarah. Always cheerful!

Hearts driving hands to make an impact ... it was a good weekend.

Betty

My church, Delaware Christian, served around our

community over the weekend.

Simple stuff, really.

Raking leaves, weeding, planting flowers, washing windows, stuff like that.

Some were helping at the Common Ground Free Store,

others fanned out to the homes of the elderly.

 My husband, another couple and I

went to Betty's home Saturday morning.

What a charming lady! 

Betty can't see well, so she appreciated our work around her yard.

But she also talked with us, laughed with us, and gave us gentle direction.

I really don't know who received the greater blessing on Saturday:

Betty ... or us.

I hope you get the chance to serve someone like Betty and

that it makes your day, as it did mine.

Operation Delaware

I'll admit it. I can be lazy. Especially in the summer, I love sitting on the porch, reading and sipping a tall iced tea.


Thankfully, my church, Delaware Christian, has decided not to be lazy this week. About 120 of us are banding together to make a difference here in Delaware. It's called Operation Delaware. We start the day at church with a light breakfast and devotions. Then teams of men, women and teens go about town, pulling weeds, washing windows, painting porches, hauling trash and doing light construction .... the kind of stuff I'd rather not do on a hot day. Then back to church for a quick lunch. And back out to new locations to serve others. There's an evening session, too, for those who need to work evenings.


This isn't the Peace Corps. We're not digging wells or teaching children. But we're seeing that people right in our town need some care and attention. It's giving people a hand. Some elderly people just needed a box taken to Goodwill, so we're helping them out. How simple is that?

We pray that we're much more than helping hands. We want to be helping hearts, too. The kind that care about the spiritual state of our neighbors.

It's not dozin' or sipping tea. But somehow it feels a whole lot better.