That's Princess Lilly in my arms, looking back toward her mama. And in her mama's arms is Lady Sarah, a chicken. Both of these beloved pets received blessings yesterday at our blessing of animals event. I loved blessing the chicken! It was such a beautiful day, and it truly felt like God was smiling on all creation.And then, out of nowhere, an idea popped into my head. A campground a few miles down the road from the church is home to a lot of families that have been displaced for various reasons: Hurricanes, floods, foreclosures--you name it. Today I will go there after church and offer blessings to their pets, too. It isn't much to offer, but it is something. And I picked up dog biscuits and some cat treats to distribute, too.
As a church we have talked about ways to minister to these families, but have felt "outmissioned" by the larger churches with resources that trample what we have. But today I will invite members of my parish to join me, and perhaps there will be some spark of outreach that will result. I can only pray for that. In the meantime we will bless the four-legged loved ones, and ask God to bless the hopes and dreams of the families who call the campground home.
