Ring! Ring!
“Hello.”
“Hello. Is this the Parson?”
“Yes,” said the parson, not recognizing the voice. “Who is this?”
“You don’t know me, Parson,” the voice said, “but I wanted to call you to thank you for the wonderful ministry you folks have on Monday night.”
“Are you talking about our Soup Supper?”
“I am, Parson. What a wonderful thing that is. I can’t tell you how thrilled my husband and I were to have you bring us supper last Monday. Oh, my that soup was good. And whoever made that cornbread must have taken lessons from my grandmother.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Who did you say this is?”
“I’m Evelyn Simmons.”
“Have we met, Evelyn?”
“No, sir, we have not. But I’ve heard about your church. That’s why I was so startled to find some young people at our door with our supper last Monday night.”
“Some of our youth brought you supper?”
“Yes sir.”
“And you’ve never had any contact with our church before?”
“No, sir.”
“Do you mind me asking where you live?”
“Not at all. Not at all. We’re at 4541 Tower of Ongoing Maturity.”
“I see,” said the Parson. “I’m really glad you enjoyed the meal. Your husband was there, also?”
“Yes, he was. And you know, Parson, those young people who brought the soup and the other stuff were not in a hurry. They just sat down in the kitchen with us and talked with us about so many things. We don’t get people their age coming by to talk very often. It was wonderful, and I just wanted to thank you for it.”
“Thank you so much for calling, Evelyn. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is for you to take the time to thank us.”
The parson and Evelyn talked a few more minutes. Then they ended the conversation. On Sunday morning, the parson questioned the two youth who’d delivered to Ongoing Maturity.
“Do you guys remember taking a meal to two people, a husband and wife, at Ongoing Maturity, who you’d never seen before?
“Yes sir,” said the older of the two. “Actually we knocked on the door and when they invited us in it was obvious they needed a meal. So we gave them the two we had. We did go back to the church to pick up another two meals to deliver the the right place.”
“Well, make sure you take another meal to them this coming Monday, if you will.”
“We will,” they promised.
The parson walked to a quiet corner of the church to read over his sermon, realizing he had no words to portray the presence of Christ in the congregation that came close to the witness of two confused adolescents last Monday.
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