Office Staff Gets Outside the Walls by Dee Dee Woolard

Have you ever heard of caroling in April?  Crazy, right?  Yeah that’s what I thought too when Ellen Lucas, FBC Church Secretary, come up with this wild idea to go sing to the residents at Cross Road Retirement Center.  Especially when she said she was going to take pictures and I was going to sing.  However, I surrendered to her wild idea and played along. 

On Wednesday, April 7, Wanda B., Eulalie, Ellen and I headed to Cross Road Retirement Center to travel door to door as a singing, picture taking quartet.  Our goal was to bring a smile and ray of sunshine to our FBC members during this time of quarantine.  However, we were the ones blessed and encouraged.  

We sang a few old gospel hymns such as “Leave It There,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “We’ll Understand It Better By and By,” as well as an old Dottie Rambo song entitled “Sheltered in the Arms of God.”  Not only did we attempt to minister to our own FBC Family, but others, such as their neighbors or friends across the lake were blessed by our feeble attempts. 

One lady heard us singing and came out to sit on her porch and raised up both hands in the air while joining us in song.  Another neighbor was washing her windows and joined in the tune.  While leaving Gail Cooper’s home, a gentleman across the lake shouted a thank you and commented on what a blessing it was to him. 

Betty LaGrange just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bless each one of us with a cross necklace she had crafted. 

Another bright spot in our visit was while singing to Darrell and Dottie Lewis, and Heidi, their miniature Schnauzer, decided to make us a quintet and join in the song.  She howled till her hearts content.  

Its not everyday we get the opportunity to leave the office walls behind and minister outside the walls.  But during these unconventional times, unconventional methods are necessary.  Remember the old adage, “When life gives you lemons, then make lemonade?” 

That’s exactly what we did.  We took the sour, unpleasantness of COVID-19 and made a sweet, refreshing memory out of it.  I believe this memory is a sweet one for Cross Road residents as well as church staff.  Will we get the opportunity to do this again?  Perhaps we’ll show up at your door step next time.  If you’re sitting in the house and hear voices outside, it just might be the ladies singing quartet coming to surprise you!