If you’re going to have a baby and do not have a church community, I suggest finding one. Why? Among other reasons is the fact that they tend give wonderful meals to new families. The good people at Church of the Resurrection sure came through for us.

Church volunteers coordinate a ministry called “meals for moms,” which provides new mothers with, well, you guessed it, meals. That means that three days a week, since the birth of our daughter on January 1, different parishioners came to our house toting some mouth-water, homemade concoctions. I would have been thankful for the meal no matter what I’ve gotten, and I expected it all to be satisfying in a homemade sort of way. But I’ll tell you what – we have some good cooks in our ranks. Beef ragout, pulled pork barbecue, squash soup and breadsticks – and let me tell you about the chicken. There has been a lot of chicken, as you can imagine, but it was never repetitive. A casserole one week, sesame the next, chicken breast in a tangy, tomato-based sauce cooked with squash, we even got a whole roasted chicken – it was all delicious. The meals were complete too. There were salads, side veggies, and desserts. There was even D.S., who did not cook, but brought us pizza from our favorite pizza restaurant. We have been well fed and well loved.

Having a baby has been one of the best things we’ve ever done. I recommend them. But make no mistake, these first few weeks have been tough. It is tough for us, and we are privileged in so many ways. We are together, our parents flew in to take care of us, we have a great community, a warm apartment, employment – had any of this been missing, it would have been all the more difficult. And it is still tough. It’s tough to throw together a nutritious and good-tasting meal when you’ve been up all night, trying to comfort a 10-pound crying person. Our church loved us in a way we did not expect or ask for, and it has made a huge difference.

One of the best ways to show love, to be a friend, to be a family member, is to share a meal. New parents could always use some, and if you have a child, I hope there is someone to provide one for you. This should also remind us to share meals with the new parents in our community (as my landlord did, who is not part of our church, but came by with an amazing lasagna). This is especially true for those in more challenging situations – new parents estranged from their own families, single parents, new parents where the money is tight – no questions these are people whose days would be lit up by a warm supper from a friend. Those of us who write here at Justin Loves Food love food indeed. We can also use food to love others.

A big thanks to our brothers and sisters at Church of the Resurrection, especially those who have loved us with food.