A Fool in Love

5-30-12

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug, sometimes it all comes together, sometimes you're just a fool in love.

I'm feeling like the fool in love. Because sometimes it all comes together, and that's what happened here last week.

On Friday about ten parishioners, most of whom volunteer as mentors at Menchaca Elementary School, gathered at the library while the first and second graders came to choose their book fair books. Actually, their teachers had already picked out their first six books. Think about it. 174 children ages 6-8 having to choose among 1266 books. It would be chaos. Those teachers know what they are doing, I'm telling you.

So the children came in two classes at a time, and the books were stacked on four tables according to reading level. And every child went home with nine new books to keep him/her reading over the summer. The kids were happy. The teachers were happy. The librarian and the principal and the assistant principal were happy. I'm assuming that the parents were happy. But the happiest of all were the people who had bought the books. That's enough to make you high as a kite.

Yes, the people of St. Alban's bought all those books for the children. We did it so they won't lose their reading skills over the summer. So they won't get behind. So they won't drop out of school. So they won't join gangs and go to jail. We raised all the money for those books by dropping spare change in jars and channeling our Amazon purchases through the website and buying scrip cards that return cash to the church. and honoring birthdays and graduations with donations. And next year we are committed to first, second, and third grades. There will be fundraisers. If a kid is reading on grade level at the end of third grade her chances of success in life are much higher than if she isn't.


That's why we were so excited to see them pick out their books. And put them in their canvas book bags, the ones with their names embroidered on them by Susan. 174 bags. She is something else.

And then there was Sunday. We were having a big party after church to celebrate the fulfillment of the Capital Campaign that began on Easter, but how on earth would we know how many to provide lunch for? A typical Sunday is about 150. But it was Memorial Day weekend and lots of people were going out of town. Or to the lake. But it was Pentecost, too, which would predict a bigger attendance. Would there be fewer than usual or more than usual? Asking for reservations had predictable results...practically none.

So not knowing any better we ordered chicken enchiladas and black beans and sauteed zucchini and squash and corn for 15o, and I figured we'd have a lot left over. Better than to run out.

And then people started coming to church. And they kept coming. And they kept coming. 178 people squished together in a space that holds maybe 165. It was good that some of them were little.

And lunch? Hey, it's church. It's all about Jesus, and we know what he can do. He does it ALL THE TIME! It was loaves and fishes all over the place. Everybody ate and ate and visited and laughed and clapped and shouted when we announced pledges of over $190,000. These are not rich people, but they are generous people. And that is why I'm a fool in love.