Category: Community

We were meant to live in community with others. If we want to be part of a strong community sometimes we need to initiate.

We Never Get to Retire Spiritually

Posted on by Wendy
As we get older, we sometimes feel that we have done all that we have been called to do. This little sign is a reminder that we are not done.
As we get older, we sometimes feel that we have done all that we have been called to do. This little sign is a reminder that we never finished on this side of Heaven.

When I was subbing in an elementary school class recently, I would ask the class a question and most of the kids would almost come out of there seats, waving their hands in the air. Some of them would even say things like, “I know!” or “Pick me!” They couldn’t wait to share their knowledge or come up to the board.

I remember similar instances when I was in school and I also remember that with each passing year in school, the desire to participate enthusiastically, dropped off. The students who wanted to answer were much fewer in number and no one was particularly excited anymore.

I think our faith walk can unfortunately, be much the same. When we first get to know Jesus, we want to shout it from the mountaintops and we are willing to serve just about anywhere, but as the years go by, we are too often just willing to sit in the church pew like that old desk from high school and simply listen.

For many of us, our children provide a reawakening and we get involved in the things they are involved in church, because they are involved. We help with Vacation Bible School when they are in it and we stop when they finish. We help with the youth program because they are in it and then we stop when they graduate. When our last one leaves the nest, we are tempted to once again, sit in the pew and listen. After all, we have done our part, right? We have paid our dues. It’s somebody else’s turn.

Maybe somebody else should step in and help with those particular programs and maybe they will. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a season of rest if we have served non-stop for many years. Furthermore, not everyone feels called to help with the children or youth in a church. Either you find children charming or incredibly annoying. You may have found your patience pushed to the limits with your own teenagers, much less someone else’s.

But, here’s the deal; we are all called to serve in some way within our church community and as a church community. There is no expiration date on our call to service. If we are breathing and still up and moving around, we are supposed to love and serve those around us in some capacity. I don’t think we ever are supposed to retire from working for Jesus and bringing people into the kingdom. There is no magic age where we can just sit on the pews.

Besides, and this truth is a huge one; the older we get and the longer we walk the journey, the more wisdom we have to share. Why would we want to keep what we have learned about our faith to ourselves when there is a world literally dying to hear it. We are called to let our light shine until we are called home.

While we may have passed the exciting, “Pick me!” stage, at some point, we should be asking God to “Reuse me!” and “Please help me find a way to share!” And you know what? He will. God is unbelievably gifted at recycling our experiences and using them for something new. If you are not currently serving anywhere, just ask God about it and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised and excited.

How are you doing at serving? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

More Lessons From Camping

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.

On my recent camping adventure, we had all circled up around the camp fire ring. All of the tents had been taken down and the cars and bus had been packed. Our youth pastor, had given everyone the instructions to find an object that represented something that was special to them about the weekend. The adults participated too.

It was really kind of interesting as everyone shared something, that most everyone came back to either community or water. One of the men stood up with a clear plastic cup of water. He said the cup represented community and the water represented the rain that sometimes falls on community. To demonstrate, he walked around the circle and sprinkled drops on all of us. He went onto say that sometimes rain falls in our lives and we don’t understand why; sometimes it’s light rain and sometimes it pours. But, we can be sure that God has His hand in it and as a community, we have to pull together to get through it. One day we will understand.

How profound. Our church community has really been struggling and what a beautiful concrete picture, he presented for the kids and honestly, even more so, for the adults.

When my own hubby stood up, he had two items, one was an old can he found and one was a small yellow bunch of flowers that one of the high schoolers had given him. The can represented God’s creation and learning to really appreciate it. He encouraged all of our technology addicted kids to get out in it more and appreciate it, and to leave it better than they found it.

The next part really took my breath away. He hates to talk in a group, but he held up the bunch of flowers and told the group that the bunch represented community. He took one and said you never think of one flower as much, but a bunch is eye-catching. They grow together in a bunch and they make the most impact in a bunch, just like community. He drew a round of applause as he sat down.

I made a mental note to ask him about his reflection later. It was just so unlike him.

Later that night, as we were sitting around our own dinner table, our family was taking turns sharing what we liked best about the weekend. We all had different stories. The kids talked about their highs and lows. We all felt like it was our favorite youth trip so far, and then my hubby shared something with us.

He told us that he had picked up the can and had rehearsed in his head what he would say, when the high schooler handed him the bunch of flowers. When he asked her what he was supposed to do with them, she told him she didn’t know. He said that when it was his turn to speak, that he had come up with something about the beauty of flowers, but when he began to speak, something completely different came out.

The kids and I were silent for a moment and I admit that I had chills. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work. The Bible tells us in Corinthians 2:13, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”

We had spent that weekend trying to build community among our youth and among the parents and, the Holy Spirit was clearly behind our success. Community is so important to Christians of all ages in all stages of their journey. When we reach out to try to build it, we are often rewarded with something beautiful and sometimes when we talk with each other about our experiences, we can actually see some of the Divine behind the scenes. I have to tell you, it’s pretty awesome!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Posted on by Wendy
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Today is a huge day for me. It’s the one year anniversary of Graceful Gaines. For one year now, I have posted Monday through Friday my thoughts and reflections as I seek more of God in my life. I want to thank you all for reading and for the many positive comments you have given me here and on Facebook and through phone calls and in person. Every share, every note has meant the world to this fledgling writer.

I have always wanted to be a writer and I put that little dream on the back burner for a long time and then I felt an awakening of sorts, and that God was nudging me to write. I didn’t really know anything about blogging so I did a little research. He prompted me to start off with a small online Bible Study that was only open to the people I invited. I really enjoyed it and had a good response. There were times as I sat at my keyboard, that I knew the words were not mine, but came from the Holy Spirit. It was an awesome feeling. It wasn’t until about six months later that I felt in my heart, it was really time to proceed.

As I made the plans to get started, I had to come up with a name. I was praying about it and had bounced around a dozen or so ideas on paper. Then one day, right after I dropped my daughter off at school, the name came to me. When I did a search, I knew it didn’t exist already, because I felt as if God whispered it in my ear.

My premise for writing was simple. Watch for God in the world around me and share what I see and learn. It’s been such an amazing ride. As I seek God, He always gives me something to share. When I feel myself grappling with faith issues, I share them here because I think others may be struggling with the same. Isn’t that what community is supposed to be about? I have learned so much while writing in this space and you have shared so much and caused me to think harder and dig deeper.

I have a neat little program that shows how many people from different countries have read my words. People from 56 different countries have visited this site and some of the countries are not even Christian countries. People from places like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates have read encouraging words about Jesus. My simple words have been read around the world and that thought moves me to tears.

Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone who have visited Graceful Gaines.
Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone living there who has visited Graceful Gaines.

God has been so faithful to me as I try to share my story intertwined with His and the response has amazed me. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Thanks for all of your encouragement and your comments. I pray that I can continue to encourage you and provide you with food for thought for another year. This journey has truly been a dream come true for me. Thanks so much for helping me make that happen.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Lessons from a Youth Group Camping Trip

Posted on by Wendy

I have just returned from a weekend in the woods with our church youth group. We spent the weekend camping. I’m ashamed to say that I went kicking and screaming this year. I kind of had a Jonah moment. It’s not that I mind sleeping in a tent or the fact that it always rains. Seriously, it rains every time I camp and this trip was no exception. It’s not that I am even horribly opposed to a weekend with no shower. Of course, the person who sat next to me at dinner on Saturday night might not have been happy with my lack of showering.

No, what I mind the most is the hours and hours of work required when I return home. The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore, especially when everything you took is wet.

The laundry alone, turns into a two day task.
The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore.

Then there’s the fact that you have to put up your tent again to let it dry in the driveway and we have two, along with blowing up air mattresses, and taking out folding chairs and cleaning coolers with bleach.

“Why do I always have to go camping?” I questioned God. “Why can’t some other parents go?” I got no answer to that, but I knew in my heart that I was supposed to go. I grudgingly went.

We planned something new this year. My hubby, our youth pastor and I, brainstormed on how to get more families involved and we came up with the idea that perhaps people who didn’t want to camp, might come for a family dinner.

Now, that you have heard my many objections to this trip, let me tell you how blessed I was for being a part of it. This group of kids was amazingly sincere and deep. Pastor Nikki asked them during devotion time on Saturday morning, to go and find something from nature that reminded them of a story or concept from the Bible. I was amazed at what they came up with. There were thirteen kids and each one had something different.

There was a stick that was Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea and a log used to build the Ark and a stone to represent the woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone before Jesus intervened. There was a tiny branch that represented the olive branch that the dove brought to Noah when he was searching for land. Another rock represented the one that took down Goliath. I was stunned at their Biblical knowledge and creativity.

Then there was an affirmation activity where three people had to say something well thought out, about the person standing up. Here again, the comments were just beautiful.

There was a family who I didn’t know very well who showed up to help with everything from meals to making a fire and it was a joy getting to know them. They were so much fun.

We had around thirty-five people for our family dinner and it was fabulous. My hubby smoked two Boston butts. One of the moms showed up and helped me peel potatoes and she brought my hubby a cake for his birthday. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

When we started a worship time, it began to pour down rain. Everyone moved to the covered pavilion and squeezed in tight to hear the message. After the families left, Pastor Nikki had the kids sing Happy Birthday to my hubby and we all shared cake that another mom brought.

I really was moved by it all and I was ashamed for my reluctance to obey God’s calling. And on Sunday morning, as I trudged to the bathroom, God rewarded me with a gorgeous sunrise.

I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn't obeyed God's call to go camping.
I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn’t obeyed God’s call to go camping.

To top it off, when we arrived home, one of the dads from the night before who had also come for Sunday morning worship, pulled into our driveway. He hopped out of his car and told us he knew that if he asked if he could help, we would have told him no, so he just came. He helped put together all of that stuff in the driveway. This is the community that I am always writing about, right here.

As I write this, I am humbled by the blessings I received this weekend and moved to tears at God’s desire to bless me as I serve Him, even when I do it kicking and screaming. I hope I will be more willing and enthusiastic next time.

How are you doing with obedience? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

What Kind of Example Are We Setting?

Posted on by Wendy
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.

As I was taking a walk last week, I came across this mama dear and her fawn. I encounter them fairly regularly in just about the same spot. My neighborhood has lots of green space and trees. We also have creeks and branches and some power lines which provide somewhat of a  wildlife sanctuary. We have many deer and my kids and I enjoy watching the little deer with spots every summer.

From watching these two, I’ve learned that the little fawn watches her mama constantly. When I walk by, if the mama stops eating and freezes as I walk by, the fawn does too. If the mama hears a car and decides to run off into the woods, the fawn follows. In the picture above, they were both watching me.

I suppose human offspring behave the same way, which can be good or bad. Human children imitate what they see, not what they hear. Not in the history of the world, has the statement, “Do what I say, not what I do.” had very lasting results. Think about it. If the kids grew up with parents who smoke, they often become smokers. If they grew up with parents who drink, they often become drinkers. This list is fairly endless.

On a positive note, kids imitate the positives too. If we pray with our kids when they grow up, they will most likely continue to pray as adults. If we are kind to each other in our homes, they will most likely be kinder human beings. If we are open about our beliefs and the importance of church and serving and we actually attend regularly and serve, our children are more likely to do the same.

As parents raising kids, we are always being watched. If we accept that premise, we may be tempted to think that after we have done our eighteen years of raising our own kids, then we are at last free to do whatever we want with no consequences. I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.

When we claim to be Christians, the world at large is always watching us. While we may be done with the specific people God has put in our charge, we are never done modeling the Gospel. And that’s the hard part, isn’t it? We can all read it and even proclaim it, but can we live it?

The beauty of growing older is the unique wisdom that comes with it, especially if we have spent a long time seeking God with our lives. The Bible says, “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12

That means that older people have something unique to bring to the table. Let’s face it, as Christians, we walk around with a target on our backs. We are incredibly blessed in the United States that it’s not a literal target; let’s never forget that there are people at this moment who are dying for proclaiming Jesus.

Those of us who have been on the journey with Jesus for a while and especially those who have grown old on the walk, have a responsibility to try to be truly representative of what we claim to believe. We really need to be vigilant in reading our Bibles and trying to reach out to those who are seeking, because wherever we are on this Jesus Journey, whether we are ten or a hundred, as long as we are breathing, we are not finished and the world is watching.

How are you doing at living out the Gospel message? It’s never too late to start.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Magic of Breaking Bread Together

Posted on by Wendy
There's a beautiful type of community that is born when people break bread together.
There’s a beautiful type of community that is born when people break bread together.

I received a text on Saturday afternoon from our new neighbors. It said, “We’re throwing some burgers on the grill later, Jeff and Tina are coming. Ya’ll are welcome to join us.” Just like that; a dinner party was born.

It was very informal. We all brought a little something to share. There were kids and dogs running around. We ate on paper plates as we shared stories about ourselves and got to know each other better. It was fabulous.

What is it about sharing a meal that invites us to share a part of ourselves? Think about it. Many first dates are over dinner. Many blind dates are over dinner. When we introduce people we care about to other people we care about, it’s often over dinner. When we catch up with old friends, we like to do it over a meal. We like to celebrate with dinner too. Anniversaries and birthdays often are commemorated with an evening that includes dinner.

We all have to eat, but there’s something special about people gathering around a table and eating together that allows for a certain type of growth. Research has shown that families who eat dinner together have a tendency to be stronger. The kids score better academically and are less likely to suffer from depression and obesity. They also tend to have a better vocabulary. In fact, studies have shown that kids can build a better vocabulary from the family meal than from reading books. I knew it!

Isn’t it interesting that our parents and grandparents didn’t need any research to tell them the importance of a family meal? Food and family were considered to be blessings. Sitting down together to appreciate both was non-negotiable and we said “Grace,” before anybody took a bite. It was just how we lived.

Holiday celebrations and family reunions centered around food too and I’ll bet you if I asked you your favorite dish from the Christmases of your childhood, you would have an immediate answer. The same goes for family reunions. Everyone has a favorite dish that a relative made. My Aunt Doris used to make a ten-layer chocolate cake that was unbelievable. (It may not have been ten layers, but it was close!)

The Bible gives quite a few examples of Jesus sharing meals with friends. He too, seemed to enjoy a good meal with good friends. Of course, the Last Supper was perhaps the most important meal ever recorded.

We have become very busy as a society. We often eat sub-par food on the go. We skip family meals and we rarely get together with friends and neighbors to share a meal and if we do, we often go out to dinner. But, I think there’s something very special about eating together in someone’s home. There’s an intimacy and community that just isn’t present in a restaurant.

I think maybe we should make an effort to do more informal get togethers and focus less on our less that perfectly clean houses and more on the community around us. I’m so glad my neighbor texted me. We will have to return the favor soon.

What do you think about family dinners and informal get togethers? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Never Say Never

Posted on by Wendy
Looks like I'm going camping.
Looks like I’m going camping.

When my kids were little, we used to take them camping every summer. As they got older, we went with some other families from church. My sweet hubby loves to camp and he does all of the cooking while we are there. I mean serious cooking. We don’t eat honey buns for breakfast. We have eggs, bacon and pancakes and most importantly, coffee. For dinner, he grills chicken or smokes something and it’s delicious.

At one point, though, my daughter was no longer interested in going and quite frankly, neither was I. Camping takes so much planning. I have to pack everything, but the kitchen sink and then everything comes home wet and has to be washed. It’s exhausting. I was done. Then we got a new youth pastor. She was young and energetic. She loved the idea of taking the middle schoolers camping and including the rising sixth graders as a welcome to the youth group.

Both of my kids were included in this group; so I grudgingly agreed to go. It rained most of the time on Saturday, but the kids had a ball and truthfully, so did I. We had the opportunity to have them outside in God’s Creation, away from electronics and they loved every minute of it. They bonded with each other and created community.

The next year when we went, my daughter had just finished 8th grade. She would not be eligible to go on the trip the following year. I figured my hubby could go with my son. I announced, very publicly, my retirement from camping, once again.

Today, my hubby and I had a meeting with our young, energetic youth pastor right after Sunday School. We had many things to discuss. When we got to the camping trip, I was ready to tell her to count me out. But, she and my hubby got to planning. They decided it would be a fabulous idea to combine the high school and middle school youth and invite all of the families too, for a youth family camping trip. For those who didn’t want to camp, the parents could come and spend the day on Saturday and stay for dinner.

I found myself once again, inexplicably, being drawn into camping plans. I even found myself getting excited about it.

Once I got home I found myself talking to God about it and laughing. His plans quite often, don’t line up with mine. I write about the importance of community all of the time. I also write about the wonder of God’s Creation and how I believe that one of Satan’s big schemes is to keep us indoors and away from God’s wonder. How could I possibly say no to a chance to build community and be out in nature at the same time? I couldn’t.

I have come to understand on my faith walk, that I sometimes get called to go where I wouldn’t have chosen to go on my own. But, I have also learned that when I obey His call I am always blessed and I have the opportunity to bless others. So, I’m going camping and for some reason, I’m looking forward to it. God works in mysterious ways!

Have you ever been called to do something you said you never would do? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Lessons from the Church Parking Lot

Posted on by Wendy
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.

My hubby and I recently took our fifteen-year-old daughter to our church parking lot to let her drive her car. She had only been behind the wheel one other time and it was time to get her learner’s permit. Before we let her get on the open highway, we thought it might be a good idea to get in a little practice.

There wasn’t a soul there, so she was free to learn how much pressure to put on the gas and brakes without giving us all whiplash. She got a little practice in going in reverse and using the blinkers. She parked it in one of the many empty spaces. Then she started driving around the church, I pointed out the lines on the pavement and told her she was supposed to keep the car between the lines. With a little practice, she was able to. (Thankfully!)

My hubby commented that people come to our church all of the time to do the same thing. I told him that one of her friends had practiced there too. He said that he often saw people on Fridays, when he cuts grass there, pulling into the parking lot, looking around and changing drivers. They are looking for a good safe place to practice.

The thought occurred to me how going inside the church provides us with safety as well. When we are traveling on our life’s journey, we need a lot of instruction and practice. We need a guide-book. God has provided us with one. The Bible has all kinds of answers and wisdom to deal with life’s crossroads. Attending church can help us decipher it.

We also need the instructions from more experienced Christians. I wouldn’t let a sixteen-year-old teach my fifteen-year-old how to drive. She needs someone with more experience. Church offers the unique opportunity to be around other Christians in various stages of their faith walk. All can offer valid encouragement and advice, but those who have been on the journey the longest, are those who I seek when I really need wisdom.

The church community can also help us to keep it between the lines. Life can get tricky and we can find ourselves in areas of gray. As you know, crossing the lines on the road can be dangerous or even deadly. The lines on our life’s journey can be the same. When we have good friends within our church community, we can counsel each other when the lines get blurred. The Bible tells us, “He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

Sometimes we can find ourselves out in the parking lot. We may be hesitant to go in for a million reasons ranging from something in our past to fear of being embarrassed or judged. We need to remember that what goes on inside the church is soothing balm to weary souls, no matter what your story is. Let’s get out of the parking lot and into the church and be sure to drag any stragglers along too.

It’s cool and comforting on the inside and God is waiting with open arms, just thrilled that you stopped by.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Praying Parents

Posted on by Wendy
There is an undeniable force that comes from praying parents.
There is an undeniable force that comes from praying parents.

I received a text in June from one of my daughter’s best friends. She wanted to know what I thought about her planning a surprise birthday party for my daughter at the end of July. I asked her what she had in mind. She said something simple, so I told her I thought it was a great idea. She was thrilled.

Let me give you a little background here. When we moved into our neighborhood, my daughter was in kindergarten. My son had a friend down the street. I prayed for years that a family with good strong values would move in with a daughter her age and that they would grow a strong friendship.

In fourth grade, that prayer was answered. My daughter and April became the best of friends.

One of my strongest prayers for both of my children has been that they will build strong, solid friendships. I think friendship is such a blessing. I stumbled upon a photo of my senior prom the other day of me and my four best friends from high school. It still warms my heart. I still love those girls.

My daughter and April have four other friends that they hang out with most of the time. Two of them went on a mission trip this summer with my daughter. All of them go to church. They are good for each other and good to each other. They have their ups and downs the way teen girls will, but they are never mean-spirited or disrespectful to one another.

So, yesterday, April asked my daughter if she could stop by her house because she wanted to give her something for her birthday. Our family stopped and made an excuse to go in with her. Her five best friends jumped out and said, “surprise!” My daughter was floored. She had no idea.

They all spent the night at our house. I have always made them welcome here. I think having a chance to hang out as a group helps to grow friendship. My mom felt the same way, so much so, that she put in a swimming pool. They stayed up half of the night talking and giggling like teenagers do.

When everyone was gone, my daughter and I had a chance to talk about it all. At first she felt overwhelmed by the gesture. But, then it dawned on her how blessed she is to have friends who love her and how blessed she is to have found these girls.

She’s learning the beauty of community. One of the girls broke up with her long time boyfriend this summer. The others rallied around her. One of the girls got a boyfriend for the first time. They have listened to her talk endlessly about him. They have supported each other. They are growing up.

As a mother, this is a powerful force to behold, this blooming friendship between these girls. I pray that God will continue to bless them and grow them to serve Him. Watching them together makes me give thanks for the beautiful friendships that I have been blessed with and I am reminded of the power of praying parents.

God is always listening. We need to make sure that we are talking.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

An Ode to the Minivan

Posted on by Wendy
It screams "I'm a mom!" and that's okay with me.
It screams “I’m a mom!” and that’s okay with me.

My daughter is turning fifteen next week and we have been searching for her first car. I drive a minivan and I have no desire to teach her to drive it. I’d like something small, used and reliable, that sips gas, for her to learn to drive and then at sixteen, I’d like to hand her the keys.

I was telling my philosophy to some friends the other day, when one of them said that she wondered when I would be getting rid of the minivan. I told her I wouldn’t be getting rid of it and she was really surprised.

I have been driving the little blue school bus for thirteen years now. It has taken us on countless vacations and camping trips. It has spent over fifteen hundred hours in car- rider lines, waiting for my children to finish their school day. It hauled a wedding dress to Florida, for my sister’s beach wedding, along with seven passengers. What a trip!

My hubby would tell you the biggest reason we are keeping it a while longer is that it’s paid for. There is truth in that. The fact that we don’t have large car payments has allowed me to be a stay-at-home wife and mom. This is an arrangement that we have all enjoyed immeasurably. It is something that we feel deeply contributes to the peaceful home existence that we have.

But, possibly the biggest reason for me, is that it’s still full most of the time. I’m always hauling a load of  kids somewhere. My son often has a friend with him, but my daughter, like many teen girls, travels in a pack. She usually has at least two with her, if not more. I can’t say much about that, because I was the same way. And I like it that way. My mama did too.

I have worked hard to encourage my daughter to develop a community of good friends, of good solid Christian girls who can grow together and support each other through the trials of high school. I always make them welcome at my house and I’m always happy to drive them around. I even drove a large group to their first day of school last year, so they wouldn’t have to walk into high school alone for the first time. We met at Dunkin’ Doughnuts. I took a load to the homecoming dance too. You just can’t do that in a small sedan.

Interestingly enough, my mama drove a big blue car. It wasn’t a minivan, but back in the day before seat belts, we could easily cram six or seven in it.  It’s amazing that we survived. We had a full-sized van too, in case we needed to fit in more. It didn’t have seat belts either. Just ask mama about driving seven girls to their first concert in Atlanta. (Lionel Ritchie and Tina Turner) I don’t think her memories of that night are as fabulous as mine are.

There are many ways to encourage community. The minvan has been a useful tool. It’s not the coolest car around, for sure. And I know people my age who wouldn’t be caught dead driving one. But hey, do we ever reach an age where cool no longer matters? Perhaps, maybe I am there or perhaps I’m just willing to put community first for my kids’ sake.

I learned that from mama. I think she did good!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂