Angels Among Us

My mom is in a nursing home.
What a way to reach the end. I have said that.
We visited today. Mornings are best.
We were wheeling her from therapy to her room, for a visit, when we passed a small gathering room with 3 residents and 3 visitors in it. One person had a guitar and was singing. We chose to go there instead.
It was nothing less than a miraculous experience. The guitar player had an easy-listening folksy voice. She knew the 3 residents well. Clearly they were a long and well-established group. One of the other "outsiders" was with her and one with a resident.
We were welcomed without question.
We stayed an hour and hated to leave.
Jan, the musician, showed us not only that she has the makings of an angel in her voice, but also in her life.
One man, whose age is undetermined, had brain damage, probably from birth. He spoke well enough that she understood him. They joked a lot.
Another man, between 35-40, is now paralyzed from the chin down, doing all movements of his chair with his chin. She acknowledged his intellectual level honorably.
The third, Bubba, was also of an unknown age. He's probably younger than we'd think and we'd probably think that is unfortunate. He weighs 50 lbs. perhaps and is curled up - no speech, no communication capability that we observed. That is until we experience the jam session.
Jan told him long stories within a song she knew he'd recall, strumming her guitar all the time. Everyone else learned from her interaction with him as she reminded him of his friends, other song fests, visits in the room that is now for therapy.
We sang, "In The Garden" twice because my mom didn't remember the first time. We heard "Be Still" - I cried. We played kids' instruments to "Old MacDonald Had a Band", and so much more.
We came away realizing that God continues to amaze us. He took us into this room to be with people we pitied previously and He showed us how whole they are in His eyes by letting us see how whole they are in Jan's eyes.
There are angels among us.
Being in this home has been a blessing, whether my mom knows it or not. They are good to her. And, we believe God takes you home when your work is done. Her presence there may be nothing more than to open our eyes and hearts more. This may be her final gift. This may be how she is an angel among the other residents.
She may be leading us to really see all the others.
It was a humbling and memorable day.
Next time we go we an say "Hey Kenny", "Hi Gary" and "Howdy Bubba" with fresh eyes. People we thought were not whole truly are. People we felt sorry for really don't want us to feel that way.
There are angels. They are among us. Look for yourself. See.

Puzzled

Life can be so confusing. Yes, it beats the alternative. But in the course of a week so much can happen and yet, so little be done. Perhaps my confusion now comes from a puzzling coincidental collision of the book EAT, PRAY, LOVE with our small group study of religions and cults of the world. We American (not a religion, not a cult, I know) have a great deal to learn and apply. Try has we do to think and believe in a very humble, very uncluttered way, it seems that every nook and cranny fights against us being able to do that. We are busy making things happen and externally it appears that means things are getting done. But at what cost, at what sacrifice, of what importance?

I used to think "that" was the most over-used word, and it may be. Then I thought "love" as the most mis-applied word, and it may be. Now I think "need" is the most exaggerated word. What do we really need? What do YOU crave?

EAT, PRAY, LOVE is far from a favorite book. I don't "get" why she's got the following she has. But parts are brilliantly constructed and there's space enough to read between the lines. She visits places where people have a terrific sense of living and of life. And, everywhere she goes there is nothing close to what we have in this country, not materially, not in freedoms. Yet, these countries' people (perhaps not their governmental authorities) appear justifiably happy, content, respectful, secure, faithful, blessed, appreciative, peaceful. At one point she comments that everyone appears to be working but each person has enough time to stop and greet her as she moves down the path. Shamefully, how many of us even think about doing that.

Her Indonesian buddy instructs, "Sit and smile" as a form of meditation. Look at that word - how close it is to medication! Hmmmm.

Start today. Sit and smile. Smile big. Smile till it touches the inside of you and the tickle you feel stays with you all day.

Yet Another Good Book

Assuming you already know the BIBLE is the good book and you have already read that MERLE'S DOOR is an excellent choice if you value good writing, I have another suggestion.

Try THREE CUPS OF TEA. You'll learn how one man is doing the work of hundreds, building schools in mountain villages in Pakistan. It matters not whether these children are Muslim or Christian. What makes a difference is that they are learning. And, the "they" is everyone who has a piece of the action - all ages, all nationalities. In being taught they find there is less room for misunderstanding and more room for all humanity. The world hasn't changed in size, just in how it is seen. Perhaps we all need to put down guns and bombs and pick up books.

Could it be our wars are fought on the wrong battlefields?

Whooooops

The pastor knows what I'm thinking. He has to since I didn't tell him I have a blog. It happens to you too. I know. You sit there and wonder "How does that person know? He/She is talking about/to me."

I take back my specific comments about Christmas and the commercialization. In a nutshell, I was reminded that no one and nothing can take Christ out of Christmas; the Bible says nothing specific about how we celebrate. So have at it, world: gift each other greatly! Sometimes being a dunce really pays off and this was a lesson that did so I'm leaving both postings up in hopes that someone else will "get it".