Strangers Meet…
There are so many beautiful moments that we get to be a part of at Love City. Many of these moments are interactions that we have, relationships that we build, or events that we take part in. But sometimes, there are moments that we get to just be witnesses to. I got to witness one of these moments at Porkland a couple weeks ago. An amazing Kingdom moment that I got to just watch unfold in all of its splendor before me.
One of our neighbors is a regular at Porkland and Merriment, a well dressed lady who is very put together. She is a widow, and you can always tell that she does not come in for the food or to shop, she comes in to talk. She just wants a conversation, some company, and to talk about anything and everything. It is the same reason quite a few of our neighbors come in, other than to help support us. The great part about our community driven sustainability drivers is that we get to provide meaningful connections with team members that care and are a presence in the community outside of just their roles at Love City. So this particular neighbor came into Porkland a couple of weeks ago, and after placing her order, sat down on the pew next to the counter to converse with me while she waited. At the time we had a line of people waiting, so I was having to bounce back and forth between the conversation and taking orders.
As she was sitting there a man came in. His name was Dallas, he had just got out of prison and was determined to turn his life around, and when he told me that, he said it with such resolve that I knew he was speaking the truth. I felt like we should give him a meal, and I got his order sent back to the kitchen. He was so grateful, he asked if there was any work we needed done or anything he could do to earn the meal. I told him that this time, it was just a blessing that God wanted to pass along to him.
Our widowed neighbor witnessed this scene from the pew, and I could tell she was watching the whole thing intently. As I was finishing up his order, her food came out and she went to sit down at her table. I continued to take orders as I try to show Dallas love at the same time. Dallas’s food comes out and I give it to him and wish him the best, he promises me that one day he will be back here and he will be a paying customer, and I believe him.
I continue to take orders in this rush that we had. I get through the line, get food out to people, and the dust settles. I see that Dallas had not in fact left, he had gone over to sit diagonally from our widowed neighbor. They ate their meals together, they talked, they laughed, for over an hour. She doled out some motherly wisdom o him, he provided companionship to her. I got to just see this happen, a new relationship in the community forged, the purpose of Porkland being fulfilled, two strangers filling one another’s desire for a connection. A table with two people that could not have looked more different. A totally unique connection that I don’t think would occur naturally in any other restaurant in the city. That is what Love does.
Ethan
Merriment!!!
Merriment will be closed from Sep 27 - Oct 7. We will reopen on Oct 8 beginning with new, expanded hours that you can see below. If you have any questions or to confirm a drop off time please call (502) 901-1105. We hope to see you soon!! To shop our higher end items online visit our Website or our eBay Page.
Fish Fry OPEN!!!
Stop by the Fish Fry to grab lunch, or bring the family for dinner. Churched Up Tots or a Fried Fish Sandwich. However you do it, We’d love to see you!!! The Fish Fry will be closed next week.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.