The smells of potluck

Last winter my husband and I were in the transitions of a church change. There are so many things, thoughts, events, and lots of prayer that go into finding a home church. I first visited this church on a Tuesday morning. It was the last Bible Study before Christmas break and it was a potluck. I journaled this and wanted to share. We are now members of this church and we are so blessed. Many different events happened in our lives and we truly felt this was where God could bless us.
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Today I sat in a room that reminded of being safe.
When I was a young girl my home life was very unstable. My sisters and I attended church every single Sunday morning, Sunday evening and any other events where kids were invited. Our parents had us bring home a bulletin every week so they could see what events they could drop us off at. For them, it was a free place to drop off five kids for a few hours. So we were the first kids dropped off and the last kids picked up.

I always knew it was going to be an extra special event when my mother gave me a warm dish of food and sent us on our way into the church. I am certain that the people of this small Nazarene church knew that these little unbathed, smelly dirty kids needed to be loved. There was always a gray haired lady inviting me to sit at her table. Someone to wash my face, hold my hand, and tell me that Jesus loves me no matter what.

As the tables filled with food and the smells began to blend together my heart would just melt into the hands of Jesus. I knew that Jesus truly must be for real, if so many people could not only love on me, but feed me as well. Potluck!!!! We did not get much food around our house, and to stand at a feast of so many different foods, and be told "help yourself", made me feel safe. I felt safe in the care of the church ladies who came around me and just loved on me. That smell of potluck to this day makes me feel so safe.

Today my eyes were closed in worship, at a potluck. The smells reminded me of the safe place God directed my parents to as a young girl. That place where a grandmotherly like lady put me on her lap and told me that no matter what Jesus loves me. As I looked around this room today, I could see why God had brought me here today; lots of older women embracing so many. The spirit and love of Christ lived out through Christian women. It's what I grew up with, and it's what made me feel safe as a child. I am still a child in Christ. I still need that network of older people in my life to wrap their arms around me. I am blessed by younger people in my life now, as age is creeping in, I get to wrap my arms around them. I had the best teachers.......and the best smells of food too. Potluck!!!