by Linda Carter and the Rev. Carey Chirico, Deacon
Smiles, laughs, and lots of them! Who knew we had a rector who could juggle apples while saying the opening prayer or juggle plastic bags? The mood in the room went from the usual quiet, concerned one to a momentary respite from life’s troubles. Thank you, Joe, for bringing the gift of laughter to The Table.
Ann Lamott explains that there are three major types of prayer – “Wow, Thanks, Help.”
The Table regularly presents us with all three moments sometimes at the same time. This past Tuesday, we had a dad come in asking about baby food. As we worked on finding community resources, a young mother who regularly shops with us came up to Chris Cook and said she could help. She had some extra baby food at home from her small family and she would happily share. She ran home (with her children in tow) and returned with two bags of baby food to donate to this fellow shopper in need. The previous week, this same mom had felt terrible when her baby, hanging from a front carrier, had kicked out and knocked Tom Way’s coffee mug off a table and smashed it. She also returned with a new mug for Tom.
At the end of the night, just as the doors were being closed and tables put away, a small family of four came in asking for food. They were first-timers, and the mom and children were given a personal tour of the tables and invited to choose what they needed. The nine-year-old was mortified and would not look up from her phone as her mom tried to involve her in the choices available. Finally upon reaching the baking area, the mom broke down and sobbed. “It has been a long time since I have seen this much food,” she said.
The greatest words of comfort we could offer were powerful ones: “We will see you next week. Please come back and let us know how you are doing. We will be here waiting for you.”
Wow, Thanks, Help – all at the same time. The Table continues to transform us through the grace of Christ’s presence there. Thanks be to God.
We will celebrate and bless the cooling shed on Sunday, June 14, from 2-4 p.m. at the George St. courtyard. There will be refreshments, music by The Table’s own DJ Richard, a ribbon cutting and thank yous to all who made it possible. Who knows? Maybe we can convince Joe to show off some of his juggling talents with produce from the Flores Farm delivery. Kohlrabi, beets, fennel, Daikon radishes might be a challenge even for him!
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