I worked with the food pantry today.  Actually, that’s not  entirely true.  I helped in the food pantry because our food ministry coordinator Morgan is out of town this week.  Our Food Ministry currently serves around 50 households.  Folks can sign up between 10 and 2 Monday through Thursday, and then pick up food on Mondays or Wednesdays between 3 and 5. 

But everyone can’t get boxes at once, so while folks wait, we hang out in the fellowship hall.  We share coffee or hot tea and visit.  Today a massage therapist came and did hand massages.  It was nice, relaxing.  But today as I chatted with one of the dear neighbors of the church, our thoughts and conversation went to the suffering of our sisters and brothers in Haiti.  We. like so many, can’t even begin to absorb the weight of the sadness and loss.  And suddenly, the woman I was visiting with asked me if our congregation was responding to the crisis.  “Absolutely!”  We already began collecting money for Lutheran World Relief and Disaster Response last Sunday.

As the woman was called to go next door to the Center for Graceful Living to pick up her food, she reached into her bag and gave me some money.  “Please use this to help those suffering in Haiti.”  Her gift surprised me.  I was humbled and touched by her graciousness.  This woman who is facing challenges in feeding herself and her children, choose to give generously to  help other sisters and brothers in pain. 

We know God is with us always.  We who follow Jesus trust that God is in the very center of things, bringing help and hope and healing;  bringing guidance and care to our lives and world…But sometimes… sometimes we get caught off guard.  The extravagant grace and love and forgiveness of God gets reflected in a  holy moment we experience.   And it almost takes our breath away, to be touched so profoundly.  Oh, that we all live with such extravagent generosity!