A Holy Flow

A beautiful phenomenon that happens at Galilee is the continual cycle of receiving and giving. There is a holy flow that happens each week that brings gifts in and sends them back into the world. 

Sometimes we are aware that gifts are coming – a specific request is made for Lydia’s Pantry items and is generously answered. But on several occasions – actually more than I can enumerate here – Lydia’s Pantry will run out of a staple item (or come close to it). And miraculously within the same day, sometimes within the hour, the needed supplies will arrive at the door, and we are replenished for the moment, thanks be to God. 

Sometimes we receive unexpected donations of perishable food or other items – and oftentimes in sizable quantities. When that has happened in the past, my initial reaction has been one of worry, “Oh dear, what are we going to do with all of this? How will we get it into the hands of people who need it? And what if we can’t?”

I have learned to move away from that stifling mindset and believe that as these blessings rush in, to trust that connections and pathways will appear for those gifts to go back into the community. It is the continual cycle of receiving, giving, and trusting that a way will present itself. And it does every time.

This past Sunday, as part of The Great Give: Clean Out for a Cause, you brought so many gifts to church that will enrich the lives of so many of our neighbors. The hundreds of reusable bags donated for Lydia’s Pantry ensure that we have plenty of sturdy bags to fill with food and supplies. Having reusable bags safeguards against tearing or disintegrating if there is inclement weather, particularly when someone is on foot, riding a bike, taking the bus, or unhoused. 

We find God in ordinary things. Whether a shirt, a dress, towels, books, lamps, cooking utensils, or a stroller – all the items donated have a place and answer a need. 

With gratitude,

Emily+