A New Way to Serve

The young family came to The Banquet just when we were ready to clear tables. Young as in early 20s with three children under the age of three. While we hurried to set places for them and grabbed booster seats and high chairs, the father looked me in the eyes and asked me something I won't soon forget: "Would you please pray for us before we have our meal?"

Wow. This is the third year Papa's Pumpkin Patch -- along with 30+ friends -- served meals to nearly 350 individuals from the Bismarck-Mandan area who might not otherwise have supper or who just don't want to eat alone. Trinity Lutheran Church hosts The Banquet every Thursday and a wonderful variety of civic-minded groups sign up to serve others.

We plan the menu, organize the volunteers, prepare the food, set the tables, greet and escort guests to their places and serve them what we hope will be an enjoyable meal. Because there are far more guests than tables, as full bellies leave, we clear tables and re-set them for new guests.

Just like we re-set the table tonight for the young family who joined us when we were preparing to wrap things up. I'd been "serving" people their meals for well over an hour when the humble dad asked me, "Would you pray for us before we have our meal?"

"Sure." And I learned about "serving" in a new way at The Banquet.

See you soon,

Papa