https://kuc.org/wp-content/uploads/022-1.jpg

Diane Rand

Some friends of ours were having a bad week. We decided to invite them up for a backyard BBQ and an outdoor movie. Everyone in our household swung into action.

Our sons researched projectors and went to Walmart to find an outdoor screen we could set up in the backyard. My husband and I planned the menu. When the evening arrived, we had spread out the chairs behind the firepit, set the outdoor couches and chairs six feet apart and put out a lively tablecloth and candles.

Our young adult children hadn’t met their young adult children, and both sets of parents looked on admiringly while our kids talked about their schools, their jobs, their Covid experiences.

The weather was just turning cool as we gathered around the firepit to see “Mulan” on its opening weekend. We passed out the movie candy and ooh’d and aah’d at the beautiful cinematography. At the end of the evening, we said our goodbyes, wishing that we could give them all a hug.

This extraordinary time had offered us a new way to get together with friends. While the trinity of Covid, racial unrest, and economic uncertainty have uprooted many of our lives, I was deeply grateful that for at least one night, we could gather and enjoy each other’s company.

Let Us Pray:

Dear God,
Thank you for the
way you love us
through others.
Amen.

Perhaps you can list 2–3 things, people, or aspects
of your life for which you are thankful today.

Be a writer for gratitude: Kenilworth Union Church invites you to become part of a gratitude journey, diverse members within the church will author these devotions. Find out more here.

Posted on September 22, 2020