Out Of Town Family
As I walked into Pine Valley United Methodist Church one Sunday morning, I was greeted by a new face! A friendly, smiling face. She asked if I had been here before, and I realized I had left my name tag on my dresser. We visited a while, and when I told her my name, she acted like we were long-lost friends. She said she always reads my blogs, and that connection made her feel like she knew me already. She said it is so nice to put a face with a name. When she said she was a visitor, I asked how she became a greeter that morning, and that is when I got her story!
Janice and her husband’s son, wife, and children go to PVUMC and are active in youth and choir. They have been watching PVUMC online for a while from West Virginia! So when they come to visit, they make sure they come to church. Janice calls ahead to ask how she can serve on that Sunday morning! That is how she was a greeter and a visitor! She was going to help Mrs. Shirley clean up the kitchen when she finished greeting! That is so cool! But her servanthood does not stop there! A few years ago, when she was in town, she helped with our big Christmas meal. Luke 6:38, “ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Because her grandchildren are homeschooled, she sometimes has the weekdays free when she is in Wilmington. When she can, she calls ahead and asks the church what she can do to help out and plans her week accordingly! Janice said, “PVUMC is a place for everyone, no matter your age, ability, or disability, to have an opportunity to serve. It is all-inclusive. There are so many ways to serve - even long distance!” Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Janice and I talked the next day, and I realized one detail had been left out of this story! She joined PVUMC online, June 3, 2018! She hopes to stand in front of the church to “join” next time she is in town. Connections are so important! By visiting when she can, watching online, watching Coffee With the Pastors, and reading the blogs, she feels connected! This is her church, and she wants to serve! Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…”
I was reminded of the Sunday before when I had a high school friend and her husband visiting from Pittsburgh. This was her second time visiting PVUMC in person. Her church closed at the beginning of the pandemic, so she began watching PVUMC online. She has gone to my small group with me when she is in town. She has also done some social things where she met other members. She feels a connection here. Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” So when Pastor Tim walked by, she got so excited and said, “Hey, Pastor Tim,” like she had known him forever. She told me he is her pastor now. I may not like a lot of things about the media, but God has sure brought a lot of good from that Sunday morning hour! Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Use your gifts to serve others and to make connections. You will be blessed! Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Mother Theresa said, “Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service. Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time … We are all God’s children so it is important to share His gifts. Do not worry about why problems exist in the world – just respond to people’s needs … We feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less without that drop.“