Have you ever felt alone at Christmas?
“My family lives out of state and I usually don’t go back. I don’t really have a place to go for dinner, other than a friend’s house,” said Diane Lynn. “The holidays always make me feel lonely,”
So, last year Diane decided to help take the lonely out of the holiday by organizing a Christmas Dinner Potluck at Mariners Church.
“I thought it would be a great way to get everyone together, so we can interact and make deeper connections with our Mariners family by having dinner at God’s house, where we remember we’re not alone in God’s presence,” she said.
“I kind of thought of it at the last minute. It was only two or three weeks before Christmas,” Diane recalled. But she proceeded to gather table linens and place settings, decorate a tree with hand-made ornaments, choose music and games, and order some premade turkey and ham dinners as main courses. True to pot luck tradition, each attendee brought a side dish. Several folks stayed late to package up leftovers, which were shared with the local homeless community.
“There were about 12 of us. It was fun, good fellowship,” Diane said. “After I got done cleaning up after everyone left, I just sat in front of the tree and just thanked God for everything.”
The response was so enthusiastic that Diane organized another potluck for Christmas 2018 and hopes to make this an ongoing tradition.
“Whether your away from family or don’t have anyone with whom to share the holiday or just want connection or inclusion, the purpose of the potluck is to give the hope of God’s love through people sharing together,” Diane said. “You are never alone, for he is always with us. Join us on Christmas Day at God’s house.”
By Dan Page, Volunteer Storyteller
