His Family (standard:non fiction, 1130 words)
Author: Anonymous	Added: Jul 30 2001	Views/Reads: 3103/2103	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A stranger comes to a small midwestern town. He has no family or friends. He enrolls in a small sectarian college, but drops out. A very small church meeting in the chapel of that college adopts him and gives him his first real home, and for that mat

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in a 12 week series of video lectures on the theology of St. Augustine, 
 I knew he was hurt.  The matriarch of the congregation tried to 
persuade me to change my mind, and looked at me very sternly when I 
said that I was not supplying this congregation with the intent of 
taking a course on Augustine. 

On another rainy Sunday, when I had been taking services for several
months, there were only seven present, not counting myself or the 
organist. By the time those who had other things to do had hurried 
away, there were only three of us besides "K' left at the Coffee Hour.  
It was his turn to prepare the snacks, but he had not had time to do so 
before worship.  I saw him move faster down the hall from the chapel 
than I had ever seen him move. 

After taking off my vestments and using the rest room, I walked into the
Coffee Hour Room and saw "K" rushing about, fixing the cheese, fresh 
bread, cookies, coffee, orange juice, cheese dip, butter, and several 
other treats. He apologized for being late in getting it ready, and I 
felt sad he was working so hard, to fix so much, for so few.  Later, 
when we were alone, I asked him about his family.  He has no siblings, 
both parents have been long gone.  He never sees his cousins, aunts, or 
uncles.  His father was well off financially, but his will was changed 
by the father's brother.  He got nothing, because the uncle's lawyer 
had gotten the ruling that "K" was incompetent! 

Now I understood, this sad and very small church was "K's" family, his
only family!  God had sent him to them, and had brought them into his 
life. As dysfunctional as this little band of people had become, a 
miracle had been wrought in their midst, by their yielding to God's 
will that they become like his Son, and always welcome a strange 
stranger. 


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