Rescued Lighted Christmas Ball #1

Friends Walker and Dabney Sanders know a good thing when they see it. And there it was, curbside, light strands tangled, a gigantic slinky looking thing looking like a garbage truck ran over it.  And just like bringing home  a stray puppy, they took it to their home. They cut non-working mini lights. They straighted bent chicken wire.  They pushed and pulled and patted the disfigured lump back into a glorious sphere. They finished it off with 200 brand new clear mini lights.  And they hung it up for all to see.

"We should form a non-profit, Lighted Christmas Balls Rescue," said Walker, half joking.

I thought he was serious, "What's the worst that could happen?" I chimed in.  "People giving us their dead Lighted Christmas Balls, us restoring them, including a certificate of authenticity, and in exchange for a tax deductible contribution, install said rescued Lighted Christmas Ball in the donor's honor."

It wasn't until I saw the first rescued Lighted Christmas Ball, hanging in all its splendor.  Restoration is good for the soul, and its easier than you think.  So take the first step, follow Walker and Dabney's lead. Ask a few friends join you.  Be heroic.  If this is you, drop us a line.  We'd love to see how we can change the world. One Lighted Christmas Ball at a time.

The trailer keeps on filling up

Here's a shot taken Sunday night of the trailer at 11pm.  Seeing the trailer and it's companion, the yellow barrel, fill up again and again has been a tremendous joy to each person who's helped redistribute the food to 2nd Harvest Food Bank of NW North Carolina and Greensboro Urban Ministry.  I'm sure each person who's left left a can, box, or bag in one of the collection points has felt the surprise joy of being connected with other persons, even strangers, with a common heart of kindness. 

While it was still daylight, Harold, a person who's worked in Sunset Hills yards for decades, and a man of few words, was out blowing leaves out of the gutter and around the trailer.  I was at the trailer rebalancing boxes and bags of food.  Harold saw me, cut off his leaf blower and peered inside the trailer.  A long pause later he said, "It's a wonderful thing to live in a town where there's so many people who want to do good and share with others." Wish I could say that's been my reaction for all of 2009.  Maybe hearing Horace's pronouncement will help me change that. 

Gardner called this morning as I was leaving for work.  I could hear the smile in his voice. He was already in Winston Salem and had already taken 870 pounds of food to 2nd Harvest.  Christmas Eve, Gardner and his son Daniel and my son in law Johnathan and my son Justin and I took all the food that had piled up, filled his car till the springs started sagging, then put the rest of it in my Suburban.  I told him I was taking what we loaded in my Suburban that night to Urban Ministry.  I did.  It weighed in at 742 pounds.  So far, we've taken 2,888 pounds of food to 2nd Harvest and Urban Ministry.  And the week's just starting. 

I love how The Message translates Proverb 19:17.  It says, “Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

It sure is a wonderful thing to live in a town where so many people who want to show mercy and do good.