I joined L’Arche Chicago in January of 2022. (Pro tip: I wouldn’t recommend moving to Chicago in January; it’s cold, dark, and endlessly wet.) But even in that first brutal winter, L’Arche offered me something else entirely: a place of warmth and light.
I remember making my way through each of the houses for dinner. Angel House invited me to join them for candle prayer, and Christianne sent me home with a stack of her artwork, plenty of business cards, and a standing lunch invitation. Friendship House welcomed me with Tim’s sweet potato tacos and a card signed by everyone. At Peace House, I found myself at a table full of laughter and jokes. During cleanup, Jean kindly gave me the lowdown on what goes where and reminded me that she was the Top Wolf of the house. As someone new to the city, these were some of my only shared meals, and I cherished every one of them.
So much has happened in the past three and a half years:
– Countless Community Nights and Celebration Nights
– Three all-community retreats
– Four team retreats
– One new house
– One funeral
– Annual Founders Day BBQs, golf outings, and solidarity brunches
– And oodles of dinners shared around our many tables.
When I first arrived, I remember feeling a little intimidated. How was I supposed to help lead the mission and culture of a community I had just joined? I was an outsider, and this community held so much tradition I had yet to discover. But somewhere along the way, L’Arche opened its arms to me and became mine too.
Now, as I prepare to transition out of my role as Director of Mission and Culture, I’m filled with gratitude. L’Arche is sending me off not only with friendships that will continue, but also with life lessons I’ll carry with me. Here are a few I’ll be taking with me:
- To treat celebration as a spiritual practice and always make time to shout, “Thank you God for giving us ____!”
- To send more cards in the mail, especially to loved ones. (Thanks, Anders.)
- To be quick and generous with invitations—whether it’s grabbing lunch or having someone over for dinner.
- To make space every day to pause, sit outside, and enjoy the weather. After all, it’s a beautiful day today, right Noah?
- To slow down and invite others into my work or activity because it makes the process sweeter for everyone.
