​​My memory from 28 years ago, when Kamie and I first moved here, is of families. There were so many kids within maybe 10 years of each other. My assumption back then was that the secret was that these kids and families were tightly connected and that is where the nurturing came from. Maybe that is true. I don't know. Today I think it is more about the type of people that are attracted to Christ church. Maybe it is small town too. However, our culture developed into what it is. People that are part of this church care for one another and just do things.

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I've always loved how things just kind of happen here. Often times, you don't know who did it. When a storm comes, a few people put plywood up on the stain-glass windows and take it down. Somehow, every Sunday morning we have bulletins. Except for today, oops! At Christmas, the tree miraculously appears on the 24th. The flowering cross comes out of hiding on Easter. Or maybe a flowerbed is weeded. The walkway is swept. All sorts of little things just happen. And that is nourishing.

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Someone mentioned to me last Sunday how they had an idea of what we could plant out in front of the ramp there to fill in that blank spot. I'm sure nobody asked them to take care it. They just decided as part of the family something needed to be done in that spot.

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We are not quite like home. Because at home, we know mom took care of things. But here, we just take care of things. That is stewardship. That is family. This is nourishing.