One Year Ago.

PARK IT.

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See you there!

The Others

Maybe you’ve heard.
You know,
that we live in a

very

small
town.

Pop: 7,902

In 1881, the pop was mostly ginger ale though. : )
You’d think after living in here for nearly two years now we’d know more people. I mean, the odds are in our favor, right?
However, those odds are quite skewed by a few factors:
1) the New England disposition
2) the demographic of the Millis population (there’s slim-to-none women my age with children- this has to a lot to do with the cost of living and some to do with lifestyle choices)
3) Caleb is not in school yet.
and 4) I’m a homebody who lives at the very end of a forgotten street.

Our primary social outlet is the Church.
And I love my friends at church but-

… well, that’s just it. I’m not quite sure how to end that sentence. All I know is that it is a pretty big blank to fill.

So Mike and I committed to reach out to our community more, mostly as an attempt to make more friends. We sat down after General Conference and planned on serving or attending a community function each month up until January.

Last Friday we attended a free dinner and a movie night at a local church. We decided to leave Caleb with a friend, so it would be more like a date night and less stressful.

The church is only a minute drive from our house, really. Caleb likes the structure for its clock and tall green doors. When entering the church I quickly realized this church’s floor plan was nothing like I had ever experienced. It was not obvious. And Mike and I, Mr. and Mrs. Magellan, overlooked the directory signs in the entryway (but we saw them on our way out!). We navigated ourselves through a hallway of class rooms, and up a darkened staircase, following distant voices.

The activity was held in a room very much like our cultural hall, just smaller. It consisted of a stage and a serving area attached to a well-equipped kitchen. Six oblong tables were set up (and I know from serving on the activities committee those fit 10 chairs each) along with a screen and projector. They were showing Johnny Tremain to compliment the town’s Revolutionary War reenactment happening the next day. (EPIC.)


The food was nothing special. And I liked it. : )
There was chips, salad, crock pot mac n’ cheese and store-bought lasagna. Also garlic bread prepared by the Reverend who admitted, “Domestic Goddess, I am not!” before serving us.
We talked to her quite a bit, and she was very approachable, a very funny lady.
I offered to bring something the next time we would attend and suggested I could bring a beverage. To which the Reverend thought I was alluding to alcohol. Oops. We had a good laugh over that once I clarified. And then she told us if we have to bring something desserts are always in demand and that food was a big part of their church culture. I said something like “Oh yeah, in our church too.” And then we outted ourselves as Mormons that attended church in Franklin.
…Rather than the revelation of our religion, she was taken aback that there was a church building in Franklin now, she only knew about the Foxboro building. Our conversation concluded later with her telling us she’ll give us the high-sign once dessert was on the table. And she did. Dessert was store-brought cookies. They were scrumptious.

It was a very humbling experience.
Mike and I were released as activities committee a few weeks ago. We know what it is like to throw together an event. We always planned for 120 people.
Only about thirty people, if that, attended the dinner we went to Friday night. The food was simple. Just plastic tablecloths adorned the tables. Not a centerpiece in sight. And it was a nice night.
It has been a very long while since we were able to just sit and enjoy an activity like that and appreciate the simplicity of it. And I loved (and took comfort) knowing that these people weren’t killing themselves organizing it all.
I think they understand, far better than I, that they were performing a service and trying to meet a need rather than creating an event for a group of people. They chose to focus on meeting the spiritual need rather than the preferences of others. I think that was a flaw for me while being on the activities committee, I chose to busy myself more with the fear of the disapproval of church members rather than occupying my resources on addressing a need. That’s’ hard to admit, but very true.

“Meeting a need not a standard” on a post-it note needs to go on my fridge.

There.
Blogdom is as good a place as any.

Please comment and share how a church activity has met a need of yours

OR tell me how you’re doing these days ‘cause I really want to know.