A night full of celebration, helping in the kitchen, and riding in the bed of a truck!
Last week I was honored to be able to go to a member of our church’s house inauguration and their daughter’s birthday party. They are building a new house and wanted to have a little service, thanking God for the house, praying for it, giving testimony on His provision. Other ladies from the church were already there when we arrived; they were decorating the doorway and setting up chairs. I have become good friends with this daughter and was excited to be able to celebrate her birthday with her (along with praising God for His provision for the house). After the ceremony, the kids from Sunday school gathered around her and sang Happy Birthday. It was joyful for me to see her being celebrated.
The greatest part was working in the kitchen beside these women from the church, preparing food and serving it to the guests. I remember when I was in Peru for a couple months and it was the best fellowship being able to help the women in the kitchen. After months of asking if I could help in the kitchen, I was ALWAYS denied. Finally right before I was about to return to the USA, I just started working in the kitchen and they accepted me to help them. It was a great honor to FINALLY be able to work beside them in the kitchen. Now while I’m in South Asia, I have been told countless times to sit, relax, you’re our guest, we’ll get the food, etc. I finally just started standing in the kitchen and basically pushed my way into helping them. And they accepted my help! Now I don’t even have to ask, I just start helping and they let me. So at this birthday party, I felt honored to be working beside my sisters-in-Christ serving in the kitchen. I feel like it’s one of the greatest honors to be able to serve in the kitchen. It signifies your friendship and fellowship have reached a mutual level. One where each other is trusted and you can just serve together to get the job done. The honor isn’t in who get to serve who, but serving each other together. It’s a place where I love to be. It’s a place where I feel honored to be. And I just hope that one day as I run a household, I will find a perfect balance between honoring guests by serving them and letting my guests help serve as they feel led.
Oh and the night ended by everyone packing into a couple cars. Of course I was talking and ended up being one of the last ones to get in the car. With very little room left I realized some people were sitting in the bed of a truck. Of course these people were all kids with the exception of now adult. Being the farm girl that I am, this seat felt like home. I think I may have been smiling ear to ear the entire ride home! But the greatest joy of the night was the honor to help in the kitchen.