Unexpected Gifts
I really miss Monday nights at the YFC building. I miss setting the tables with Claire while Anthony bakes corn muffins in the kitchen. I miss making new friends while we eat tacos and pizza and then getting to hear their Friends News, live and in-person. I miss hearing Charlie and Clementine and Theo giggle and run around in the back room while the rest of us laugh at Mac’s ultimate trick in our after-dinner game of “Truth or Trick.” I miss seeing Whitworth friends keep Dustin company in the sound booth as he plays music and runs our slides during worship. I miss seeing Garth and Sarah light up as we sing together. I miss visiting with Andrea and Grace at the end of the night while everyone pitches in to clean up. I miss Oreos and fist bumps and hugs. Oh, how I miss hugs!
Anthony leads Side-by-Siders in a cooking workshop on Zoom
But this covid season hasn’t been all losses. There have been unexpected gifts too. Like the Zoom cooking workshop with Anthony where we baked corn muffins and shared our thumbs up and thumbs down for the week. Like connecting with Claire at our Zoom Home Group even though she’s all the way across the country in New York this summer. Like making new friends (including Michael and Fran and Heidi and Danny, who don’t even live in Spokane). I love that I still get to hear everybody’s Friends News, and that we even got to have a Zoom pizza party one night. I love that there are still kids giggling and running around in the background, lots of laughter, and new games. (Who knew you could have a scavenger hunt on Zoom?!) I’m so grateful that we’ve been able to stay connected with our Whitworth friends even though many are away for the summer. And it was so great to learn, on a recent picnic and walk with Dustin, that his middle name is James. Which makes perfect sense because Dustin James is our DJ! I love that music is still a part of our community life; David and Gabriel even wrote a song together that was shared during our Huddle a few weeks ago. Garth and Sarah still light up when we sing (even if it’s not in perfect unison), and now they light up our computer screens with their smiles. Also, I love that I’ve been able to get some one-on-one time with Andrea and Grace in their beautiful backyards. Plus, there’s no commute or clean-up after Monday night Huddle, which is kind of nice. But Josiah still sends us off in peace, which is even nicer. And as for my shortage of hugs, I have 130 hugs waiting for me as a result of a fun and fruitful game of virtual hug bug with Jackie.
One of the biggest gifts I received during this season is gathering on Zoom three mornings a week to listen to Scripture and pray for each other and for our hurting world. At our next prayer gathering, I’m going to be sure to thank God for Side by Side and for the unexpected gifts I’ve received from sharing life together during this strange and challenging season.