A group of us from The Way went to breakfast last Saturday. It was an early Valentine’s Day celebration and included singles and couples. Some of us were from The Way, and others were neighbors or relatives of church members.
As we were gathering and getting seated a lady joined us at the end of our long table. You could see the confusion on faces as no one recognized her. Someone decided to go around the table and have us “introduce” ourselves and say if we were there as part of the church or a neighbor/friend. She introduced herself as part of the church.
She seemed to have a great time during the meal, interacting with people, laughing, and acting as old friends with all. When the meal was over, I went over and introduced myself as the former pastor. As we talked, it became clear that she was a bit confused over which church we were from. It was also clear that she was lonely and hurting (telling me she lost her son).
I told her anytime she was close to our log-cabin church in Middleton to drop by. We would welcome her and enjoy seeing her again. I had a few dollars in my pocket and blessed her with that and a hug.
As we left, I thought of the Scripture in Hebrews. “Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.” [Hebrews 13:2 HCSB]
I don’t think she was an angel. I think she was a child of God in need of some love and fellowship with other children of God. I’m glad she found us. I’m glad our group was kind, accepting, and loving to her.
