“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
“I want to thank you for inviting me to your potluck dinner. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend due to a bad case of the flu. It is so wonderful and so kind to host and welcome everyone to your home!” This is how the thank you note started from one particular neighbor in response to Tami and Jim’s invitation to their community potluck.
After studying The Art of Neighboring with their community group, and seeing others in the group host activities, Tami and Jim decided to “step in with something easy." So they hosted an ice cream sundae party in their driveway. The neighbors were so enthusiastic about the opportunity that many wanted to do another, which led to another neighbor volunteering her backyard for appetizers. At that gathering, they all collected each other's emails and phone numbers, and someone else said, “We need to do a potluck next time." Once again Tami and Jim stepped up. Tami says, “I sent out flyers and knocked on doors to invite people. It turned out to be a fun day with lots of international food, and all but two families came.”
It was from this last invitation to gather for the potluck that the neighbor responded with her note. It went on to say that in so many neighborhoods, the greatest poverty is that people are unseen. “So these potluck dinners are something that is truly important. Thank you so much again. Hopefully, you have another one and I can come!”
Tami said, “The invitation touched something in this neighbor that was important and meaningful. Even by the invitation itself she felt included. It was a great encouragement to me and to my community group. We just never know when something is going to touch someone, to have an impact on them.” said Tami. “But God knows, and we just need to respond to his Great Commandment to love our neighbors.”
