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closeA weekend of work draws our community together
Karen Sundell
guest columnist
Being a member of Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, I was one of the enthusiastic volunteers who took part in the “Go Sunday” that was featured a couple of weeks ago in the Gateway.
It was when Chapel Hill closed its doors for its normal Sunday morning services, and the members of the church rolled up their sleeves and went out to one of more than 70 sites within our community to volunteer in a planned project.
Since I volunteer with the music ministry at Chapel Hill, I signed up to assist with their project. One of the choir members knew of an elderly couple who could use assistance with yard work. The husband had been confined to a wheelchair and the wife, his sole caretaker, was dealing with some aspects of diabetes, so their gardens were in some desperate need of weeding.
I love coming together with a group of people to undertake a project that will benefit someone who really needs it.
When I arrived, work was well underway. As I pulled out my tools and slipped on my gloves, the first few raindrops began to fall.
After I snapped a few photos to record the “before” aspect of the job, I found a place in one of the many gardens and began to pull weeds. I began to talk with a woman I had never met, and we chuckled a bit as the raindrops began to fall a little harder.
Being optimistic, I figured it would only make pulling the weeds — of which there were plenty — much easier.
As the morning wore on, even the workers who were wearing raincoats were no longer dry beneath their coats. My new friend and I were laughing at our incredibly wet situation.
I thought about the countless hours that had been put into planning and coordinating the day. More than 1,400 people were out working on that Sunday morning — with many projects outdoors — and there was literally a non-stop rain.
I felt empathy for the people who had planned painting projects that day.
Undeterred, we continued with our goal of helping this wonderful couple. But when there was the first lightning, followed by thunder, I looked at my new friend and suggested a lunch break.
As we walked around the front of the house and saw no one in the front gardens, I was not surprised to find the other 17 volunteers — all as wet as we were — gathered around, eating lunch at a table in the house.
It is so ironic that, for the most part, we show up on Sunday mornings looking our very best. But here we all stood in a circle, looking like drowned rats and having such an incredible time; a time none of us will ever forget.
As we headed back to the gardens, thunder and lightning faded into the background. We began to reflect that the weeds would soon return to the garden, even after all our hard work.
I’ve thought a lot about that in the past few weeks.
My great-grandmother had a saying, “I have been fighting dirt all my life, and there is just as much as when I started.”
I agree with her, especially after raising four kids in the past 18 years.
The weeds will grow back and will need to be pulled again, but the seeds that were planted in our hearts during that rainy day will grow into something that will change us for the better.
Other churches across the country have done similar Sundays and have had tremendous results. It helps people in the community grow a little closer, and it encourages the congregation to reach out beyond the church walls.
In turn, it helps to build new friendships. Overall, it’s a powerfully moving force.
The projects that couldn’t get done that day ended up being finished later that week. It’s that kind of determination and caring in our community that we need.
I like being able to rely on our neighbors and friends to help us get back on our feet.
So when the weeds come back, the dirt needs to be swept again, you are not alone. There are people willing to help, even if the rain is falling.
I know. I was there.