Giving Thanks to My Hope United Methodist ChurchHOPE Family, by Lauree Padgett

I have been a part of HOPE Church since its inception, and last night, as I was saying my prayers, I thanked God for the many people He has brought into my life the past 17 years through HOPE. I thought it might be appropriate the Sunday after Thanksgiving to share with you just a few of the many reasons I am so grateful for my HOPE family.

Being a single person has its perks, but it also means that there are times when you need an extra set of hands. Last Sunday after church, a small group of folks joined Robin Yeager, also a founding HOPE member, and me for lunch. I mentioned to Robin that the ladder desk I had ordered had arrived but that I was going to need some help putting it together. Without hesitation, Mame Rosborough said, “Dave [her husband] will put it together for you.” And in fact, as soon as lunch was over, they followed me back to my house and Dave did just that, helping me as well to move furniture to make room for it.

The last two times I’ve moved, Sandy Ford came over the day after to help me unpack and get settled in. This past time, Donna Lee and Art Conkwright also came over to help me unpack and took me to dinner. Art later did some fix-it work for me. Susan Koerwer also came over the morning of the move to wait for the movers so I could drop off my kitties to the cat clinic.

After I moved to Voorhees, Karen McNamara (my personal interior designer) and Nona Ostrove went furniture shopping with me and helped me find some great deals. Then Joanna Dickinson answered an SOS (actually it was a GMF—get my furniture) by volunteering her husband, Bruce, and his truck, to go to the furniture store and get the pieces back to my house.

In the early winter of 2006, when my same-day surgery turned into a 3-day stay in the hospital and several weeks out of work, many HOPE friends came to my aid. Jo Robinson drove me to the doctor; Susan ran errands; Nona came over and shoveled my driveway, lent me her laptop, and brought me dinner—all at the same time! Deb Danino and Peggy Speake brought me lunch one day and then Deb brought her daughter Chrissie another day and we spent a fun afternoon playing games. Gwen Kandt came with her home-made caramel corn. Then-neighbor George Pedrick helped me get trash out.

But it was the days leading up to and after May 27, 1998, when my HOPE family was really there for me. My mom, who was nearing the end of her long battle with emphysema, was in the hospital. Suzy Wilson came and brought my sister and me some snacks and visited with me in the lounge. She made me laugh as only she can. The night my mom was taken off life support, Pastor Jeff, both as a friend and pastor, came to be with my sister, my mom, and me. When I called Laura and Eric Dunn, they came and spent the night waiting with me. Marilyn let choir out early so my friends could come to the hospital. Suzy, Randy Petersen, and Deb Stranahan all did music for the memorial service, and many choir members, including Bob Jones, took care of set up and clean up at my sister’s house afterwards.

So when I think of all I’m thankful for at Thanksgiving and throughout the year, know that my church family is always top on my list.