Love thy neighbor, help thy neighbor

It is at this time of year, more than any other that I am proud to be a small town girl at heart. I grew up in Northern Minnesota about thirty miles from Canada. The town of Big Falls had 350 people and a combined High School with Littlefork and surrounding communities. 

When you grow up in a small town, driving forty miles to the grocery store or doctor or Pizza Hut, was just what you did. 

If some piece of equipment broke down in the woods, my mom had a list of folks she checked with to see if they also needed parts before we drove seventy miles to the John Deere shop.  

Being in Bemidji also meant we were going to have good supper from Dave’s Pizza. Pete Fenson, the current owner, is a bit of a celebrity. He not only makes great pizza, he was on the USA Curling team in 2006. He is now a coach with USA Curling and an announcer. It is so fun to hear his voice on national television and think “I know him and he is such a good man.”

My small town upbringing prepared me well to be here in Grant and Perkins County. I don’t have to travel as far for a grocery store or doctor or restaurant, because we are blessed to have all of them here. 

We are also blessed to have some amazing programs to help folks especially during this time of year. I am pleased that the Grant United Methodist Church and so many of the other churches in Perkins County are part of the Angel Tree program. I love selecting gifts for a child that may not otherwise have any. 

What a difficult choice for a parent to have to make. Do I buy food for my kids, pay the utility bill, or buy Christmas presents?

 I pray you never know this situation, but if you do Perkins County is the place to be. We will help.

And we have an extraordinary food pantry. When I shop at Hatch’s, I always check what’s on sale and run that through and tell them to put it right into the big Food Pantry basket just inside the doors. 

And when they ask for my rewards number, I always say Food Pantry, because I know the points add up to pounds of hamburger and gift cards for families that use the food pantry.

Of course, this is a different sort of year than other years, but we in small town Nebraska have much to be thankful for. If we can give, there are many ways to give. If we are in need, much help is available. You can talk to any pastor in Perkins County, or me if you don’t know another pastor, and we can talk about the possibilities. 

Food is just a phone call away. There is no reason for anyone in Perkins County to be hungry. If you know of someone who needs help or you do, don’t struggle alone. 

Please call the Grant United Methodist Church at 308-352-4594 or any church and we can meet you at the Perkins County Food Pantry and get your family food. 

This is a time for hope not hunger. A time for joy not jealousy. A time for love not loathing. Let us reach out to one another, while socially distancing. 

Let us be creative in how we check-in on our neighbors. That’s what small town folks do.

God bless.