May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

Wednesday was a travel day. Rebekah and I hit the road and headed south on into Georgia. Reminded, mile by mile, of how much we detest Interstate 95 and how close we are to making the fateful decision to purchase what we like to call “an old person car.” By that we mean something with a smooth ride and cushy seating!

We spent the night in Newington, the rural farming community where Rebekah’s mother grew up in the 30’s when she was a Perkins. Most of the family still live fairly close by, including Rebekah’s cousin Zandra and her husband Ed, who generously hosted us last night in their home.

We’re on the way to Florida, where we will pick up the grandchildren. But it is good to break up the drive and enjoy the opportunity to catch up with family on the way.

It’s also good to see this community again. Newington is kind of a time capsule – not that much different from the 60’s and 70’s when Rebekah used to visit cousins here in the summer and at Thanksgiving.

Well, not that different other than, little by little, the life that is leaking out of this town – like the loss of the elementary school, the empty storefronts, the general store that disappeared in the 70’s, the diminishing population….

It is one of the reasons Zandra moved back here just a few years ago, to find new ways to patch up some of those persistent leaks before all the life drains away. The Dollar General may have helped address the food desert risk, but then there is the danger of the community – indeed any community – becoming a hope desert too.

We are all called to make a difference, to look at our life journey moving forward and to determine to be agents of healing, and of light, and of hope.

Here making a difference means the Newington Heritage Society, the Dollar General, the pavilion, restoration of a historic church, rebuilding the train depot and the dream of reopening a railroad line. There are many stories I could share about the offering of healing and light and hope, and just about all of them have Zandra’s fingerprint on them. But there is offering, and then there is receiving….

Newington, Georgia. Official population as of 2023, 295. But close to 5,000 people within a ten mile radius – all rural.

But – and this is why I am writing about Newington – this is America… just as much if not more than the suburbs.

Hope – DEREK