Magnolias in the Green Meadow
Earlier that day, Pastor Lo sent a text message telling everyone to come over for the World Cup.
I took note of it and moved on.
As evening approached, my wife handed me fifty dollars.
"Take this over to Pastor Lo. It's for the Orioles game on Thursday."
Simple enough.
The rain had cooled what had been a hot summer day. It wasn't one of those storms with strong winds or rolling thunder. The rain simply fell, quietly and steadily.
About ten minutes later, I pulled into the church parking lot.
Parking was easy.
On a rainy evening, that felt like a small blessing.
I stepped out of my car and looked across the Green Meadow.
The grass looked different that evening. Just a few days earlier, the summer heat had left it looking tired. Now the rain had breathed new life into it.
Standing over the meadow was a magnificent magnolia tree.
I'd seen it many times before, but something about the gentle rain and the quiet evening caused me to stop and take it all in.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
Then I remembered why I had come.
The cool raindrops felt good on my head, but I still had fifty dollars to deliver.
I walked along the sidewalk beside the church, turned left toward the pastor's house, and rang the doorbell.
Pastor Lo answered with a smile and a fist bump.
"Come on in."
Before long, we were fixin' our plates, loading them with fresh Maryland Silver Queen corn, burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and baked beans.
The corn was as sweet as summer itself. The baked beans were delicious. Whether it was the food, the company, or a little of both, everything tasted just a little better.
The World Cup played in the background while conversation drifted from soccer to everyday life and back again.
At one point, we talked about a goalkeeper's mistake that changed the course of the match.
It reminded me that even the best players in the world make mistakes.
So do the rest of us.
Perhaps that's one reason grace means so much.
As the evening came to a close, I realized I hadn't simply stopped by to deliver fifty dollars.
I'd received something in return.
Not money.
Not a souvenir.
Something much more valuable.
Fellowship.
The rain had refreshed the earth.
The meal had nourished the body.
The laughter had lifted the spirit.
Fellowship isn't something we define.
It's something we live.
