by Pastor Todd Holdridge

They arrived in August, a family of five with three small children (Greta -3 yrs old, Amelia -2 yrs, Anders -7 wks old). The Traver family had left their home in North Carolina and packed their bags for a short one-year stint in Seattle. Being a little apprehensive about finding a good church and concerned that it might be difficult to develop friendships (knowing that their time in Seattle would be short), they found themselves pleasantly surprised and at-home at Bethany.

Since then, Carrie says, “We’ve had lots of ‘God moments’ this year, not the least of which occurred on Thanksgiving last month.” The Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving had been a rough day, with children who were both excited for Thanksgiving and a touch unruly. Spending the day cooking proved impossible.

After Mike returned late from work that evening, he suggested that Carrie take a break. With an uncooked turkey in the fridge, a pie that hadn’t been prepared and potatoes that hadn’t been peeled, a break seemed unlikely, and even irresponsible. Eventually, however, Carrie conceded and spent the next couple of hours in one of Seattle’s many fine coffee shops.

Thanksgiving Day arrived, and still the Butterball was raw, vegetables were in the crisper, and it was looking like it would be a simple Thanksgiving dinner, if any. Yet, they headed out the door to start the day at Bethany’s Thanksgiving service. Carrie admits that though she enjoyed the service, her thoughts often returned (and with a high degree of apprehensiveness) to the turkey that would certainly prove tardy for their evening meal.

While walking out of church, they met Naud & Sarah Frijlink for the first time, and struck up a conversation. Naturally, the issue of Thanksgiving plans came up. “What are your plans for the day?” Sarah asked.

“I’m going to go home and try to figure out how to cook a turkey,” Carrie replied. “What are your plans?”

“Well, I’ve got lots of food,” Sarah said. “Why don’t you come have dinner with us?”

“You want us, with my three children who don’t do well in [quietly controlled settings]?” Carrie thought. And it began to dawn on her that she might be spared an afternoon of chaos. Hesitatingly, she asked, “When would you want us to come over?” knowing that an early meal would preclude their coming (their children nap until roughly 4pm—a necessity in the Traver household).

“How about 4pm?” Sarah replied.

Later that evening , during their meal, Sarah took Carrie quietly aside and said, “I wasn’t sure if I should mention this, but I think you ought to know. Before I started cooking, I knew that our scheduled guests weren’t going to be able to come. But I had had a strong sense that I should prepare for eight. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, or if God was trying to say something. But the impression wouldn’t leave, so I began cooking for eight and praying that God would show me who to invite. When I saw the two of you at church I knew that you were the ones we should invite.”

A few weeks later, after Carrie had time to reflect upon the event, I asked her how this had impacted her. She said very practically, “What does it hurt to follow those nudges? What does it hurt to set the table for eight? And what does it hurt to receive an invitation that seems almost too good to be true? I could have refused, thinking that Thanksgiving was supposed to look differently—only for family. But think about what I might have missed?”

Mike and Carrie Traver, and their three children, will remain in Seattle until August 2009.