We understood, and stepped back out into the hall while proper clothing was applied.
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| Making a Visit courtesy photobucket.com |
Our church encouraged
volunteers to visit the new people, so I asked my teen age daughter Nancy to go
with me to visit the school teacher and his wife, Inger.
Nancy was in his history
class in high school, so she was pleased to go with me.
We knocked on their apartment
door, and when Inger saw it was us, she threw the door wide open and welcomed us in.
Up to then, all was well, but
it was a hot evening, and sometimes when it is just you and your spouse, you
can dress or undress how ever you like.
Art was reading the news
paper while he sat comfortably in his easy chair in his tee shirt and boxer
shorts!
Immediately he exclaimed loudly
to his wife, the impropriety of opening the door so quickly while he was in his
present situation. He also shouted, “This was one of his students,” and it
was quite embarrassing to him.
We understood, and stepped back out into the hall while proper clothing was applied.
Now you might not know that
Inger was from Denmark, and culture is quite different there. She though nothing of wearing less on a hot
evening and in front of company – what was the big deal?
Within a few minutes all was
fine, and we had a nice visit, I believe
that short awkward visit endeared them to us and us to them.
One thing we learned about
our visit is that it is wise to phone ahead and let the people know that in
about an hour you will be in their neighborhood and will stop by for a short
visit.
When it was time to leave, we
gave them one of the church weekly magazines, and encouraged them to come early
next Sunday for the Sunday school classes.
In a church if only the
worship service is attended, it is difficult to make friends with the
people. The small groups of Sunday
school classes, was a place for questions, discussion and encouragement as we studied the Bible and
prayed together.
As I think back about that
rather small church, there were many friends made there, and we still keep in
touch with many by e-mail or letter.
Some of our old friends have already gone to
glory, even Art has left this earth.
However we expect to be reunited with a large host at the heavenly fellowship hall one of these days.
However we expect to be reunited with a large host at the heavenly fellowship hall one of these days.
This post is linked with
Laura’s
Faith Filled Friday
2 comments:
"In a church if only the worship service is attended, it is difficult to make friends with the people."
The only way to have a friend is to be one - hard to do when all we do in worship services is nod a greeting across the aisle or shake a hand or ten during the greeting. Even if the visit started out a little awkward, the impact is what counts :)
Great post, Hazel!
I'll have to raz Nancy about this! Had to be awkward for you as well! You're a person of action, Hazel. The living example of how Christ lived while walking in a soul cage. It is about action. Words are good, maybe even a heads up before popping over, but action is where the rubber meets the road... so to speak. Or souls meet the sidewalk... you know what I mean!
Great post, Hazel.
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