"Where there is sadness, Joy."

It started out like any Friday night should.  I was riding in a car with 3 guys reaping havoc and tearing up Ben's car with a banana and water (sorry Ben!).  We had just eaten out, and we were going to Food Lion to get snacks, and then to Ben and Mike's to reap further havoc.  While we were standing around trying to decide what drinks to get, Mike gets a phone call.  I heard him say, "Yeah, we will definitely be praying for the house..." or something to that effect.  None of us had any idea or inclination of what he was going to tell us when he hung up the phone.

(This is a paraphrase of the best I can remember it):

"Hey guys...I have some...bad news.  L. was hit by a car today, she was taken to the hospital, no one had seen her for a little while, and, ..." (I was thinking, Please say she's ok.  Don't say she's dead). "...well, she died earlier..."

The whole atmosphere instantly changed as we switched from joyous havoc reapers to sullen, grief-stricken bodies.  We all stood there, trying to make sense of what was just said to us.  I didn't know her as well as the others, but I had just worked with her and got to know her a little over the past 10 days, but especially on Wednesday.

Every Wednesday L. and Bruce prepare breakfast to give out to the people who live on the North Side, and this particular Wednesday I joined her and Bread-Mike to prepare the plates and hand them out to whoever wanted them.  L. wanted so bad to at least reach their goal, which I think was 42 plates?  Every time people came to us wanting plates, she would eagerly rush inside to prepare them, and I would either hang around outside, or I would saunter in after her to help make them.  (Note this, I am a natural saunter-er.  It is not necessarily because I don't like what I'm doing..it's just what I do.  And I *loved* doing the breakfast.  Don't judge me!)

I am so pleased to announce that we broke that record by about 4 or 5 plates, if I remember right, and L. couldn't be happier.  She had such a joy and a happiness just to serve others, and to do the nitty-gritty, behind the scenes action that takes a special heart to want to do.  The whole time I was with her Wednesday, all I could see in her (she was an adult, mind you) was a giddy little girl, prancing around every time someone came to the house asking for food.  She gave me a new vision of child-like faith, not just in believing tiny words on cigarette paper, but the faith that in serving others, something is made right.

While this is a very hard hit for all of us here at Grace and Main, her legacy will live on, and the faith and joy she showed to me will forever be treasured within my heart.

"I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live."  ~ John 11:25


"'See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
And God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.'
And the one who was seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new.'" 
~ Revelation 21:3-5

Light it up,
LT