Kum Ba Yah

Kum Ba Yah

Sunday morning the clipboards go around the room. The steadies are the attendance sheet and the page of prayer requests. The others change week-to week: someone just got home from the hospital and needs hot meals, there is a service project somewhere, and who wants more information about this or that or such and such. This week, it was “social”. Ah, the Sunday School Social. Hmmm.

Monday morning a volunteer scanned the list of prayer requests and emailed it out to everyone. In short order, there was a “reply all” message from our leader. It updated a few details, gave directions, and said, “If you signed up to bring something, BRING IT.”

Yesterday evening, I carpooled with a friend to this poolside party. In spite of directions and the assistance of a GPS, I still almost missed the house. We found a place to park, and were there. A note on the front door invited everyone to “come on in.” We then walked into an enviably tidy and cozy home. I reminded myself that that the owner has grandchildren who are older than my son is (e.g., no toddlers living in the house). We passed through the living room and kitchen, then out the back door. The watchdog just lay still in a corner of the patio and watched us. The neighbor was blaring music. The air smelled of sweat, chlorine, a laden grill, and freshly mown grass. The Tikki Torches burned with citronella. One teenager kept threatening to jump fully clad into the pristine pool.

We refined ladies proceeded to eat more than was decent, from a table replete with all the trappings of a summer cookout. Just when we could not hold another bite, our leader (who has boocoodles of culinary experience) cut the watermelon into the shape of an Easter basket. On this gentle spring evening, we stop long enough so we could listen to and share our current joys and struggles. Every one of us has these things that weigh heavy on our hearts. These are the thoughts that keep our minds spinning like a hamster wheel. We spoke of big and little things: health, births, jobs, graduations, travel, deaths, illnesses, injuries, and even who has the cutest shoes and purses. We had 2 hours of respite from the world. It was rejuvenating to simply sit and chat with women I usually simply see in passing as we run our separate ways.

I didn’t mention earlier that our leader had said in her obligatory reminder email, that we would not stand in a circle and sing Kum Ba Yah – but when it came time to pray and bless the meal, that is exactly what we did. Hear me, hear us, Lord, we need you, Come by here.