By Chris Meehan
Some community members brightened the Thanksgiving celebrations of an Allendale family late last month.
On the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving, Kathleen Mehaffey and Ben Reinhardt brought a basket to the home of a family with four children. The basket contained a 14-pound turkey, dressing, potatoes, vegetables and dessert.
The father of the family answered the door, and shook their hands vigorously as he accepted the food. “Oh, wow,” he said. “The kids will be so happy. I can’t wait to tell them in the morning. They’ve been asking for turkey, but it’s been several years since we could afford one.”
The mother told them that she had been planning to buy a ham the next morning—all the family could afford.
“This makes my day,” the father added, laughing. “I was getting tired of ham!”
The basket came from Shreveport branch member Gwen Stuart. Gwen had been helping with a Thanksgiving-week food giveaway at the church where she works. The supervisor of the giveaway had given Gwen two food baskets to deliver to needy families. Gwen was unable to make contact with one family, despite repeated phone calls and knocks on their door. The supervisor asked Gwen if she knew anyone else who could use the meal. “I’m sure I can find someone,” Gwen replied, thinking of the community’s outreach in Allendale. On Tuesday, she dropped off the basket at the Allendale home of Ron and Ruthanne Seitz.
The basket migrated from the Seitzes to the single women’s house headed by Kathleen. Over dinner, the women brainstormed the names of families who might benefit from the basket, and eventually settled on the family with four children. Some of the children had come to the community’s summer camp, but the women wanted to get to know the parents better.
“I think the Lord was being very specific in his care for those neighbors,” says Kathleen. “We didn’t have reason to believe that they were any worse off than all the other poor families who live in our neighborhood, but the Holy Spirit prompted us, so we took the food to them.”
Responses
josette konczeski says:
December 9th, 2013 at 7:24 PM
I wish that we could start a thanksgiving food drive for the people in Allendale next year. How hard could it be to get turkeys and all the fixings!!!
Josette Konczeski
People of Praise, Tampa, FL
Joe Gleason says:
December 9th, 2013 at 9:03 PM
Our God is so compassionate. Thank you all for listening to his prompting!
Jackie Vaughan says:
December 9th, 2013 at 10:31 PM
The Holy Spirit is so cool! And isn't His joy contagious!!
Tom White says:
December 9th, 2013 at 11:08 PM
Brothers and Sisters in Allendale,
Keep up God's Good Work!
My heart and prayers are with you daily,
Tom W., Vancouver
Linda Finke says:
December 10th, 2013 at 10:08 AM
It is amazing sometimes how many people it takes to get the Holy Spirit's job done. It takes a Community to talk and pray to do the Lord's work. Thank you all for participating.
Terry Bomkamp says:
December 10th, 2013 at 10:19 AM
a great example of service, God Bless you!
Matt Wacker says:
December 10th, 2013 at 4:18 PM
You guys are amazing servants. Thank you so much for doing that for the family. What a blessing. Its wonderful to see how the Lord can not only change our lives, but also our eating habits.
Margaret Sak says:
December 10th, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Great story! What a wonderful gift for that family. May God continue to bless our work with you all.
ann thomas says:
December 11th, 2013 at 1:20 PM
God Is so amazing thank you for serving others and listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit
Carol Govek says:
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:19 PM
Your active participation in the prompting of the Holy Spirit inspires my faith and greater trust in God! Thank you!
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