Shamed By Saints

I have come to realize that as I go through my daily life, God constantly puts certain people in my path. I have been blessed by so many people and learned so much, but never have I been shamed as I was this past week.

After having slept very little last Saturday night, I woke up on Sunday morning feeling more than a little cranky and out of sorts. As I sat sipping that first, much needed hot cup of coffee, I wished for any excuse that would keep me home from church. (Believe me, it is more than a little hard for me, as a pastor's wife to make such an admission!) However, being the dutiful little pastor's wife that I am (no laughing please) I did get up, got ready and went to church.

Our church was having a special breakfast to honor our outgoing choir director after thirty plus years of dedicated service. As we ate and visited with church members, I noticed that one special lady had returned that had been out for awhile. Ms. Christine, who is in her early 90's and had recently been plagued with back problems, sat quietly at the end of a table looking beautiful in her lavender outfit. I welcomed her back and in her no nonsense way, she assured me that once we reach a certain age there are just so many aches and pains to contend with and you just do what you can.

Less than a mile up the road from our church, another sweet lady, Ms. Bertha, also in her early 90's, lay in a hospital bed, wishing that she could be in the house of the Lord, enjoying fellowship and singing the old hymns that I sometimes wish could be replaced by more contemporary music. Her smile can light up any room and whenever she sees you, she is overjoyed and never tries to hide it.

Then, if you drive the other direction, a couple of miles, there is yet another elderly lady, in her late 80's who resides in the nursing home. Ms. Louise is a favorite of practically everyone that knows her or comes in contact with her. She has this twinkle in her eye when she smiles or tells a joke. As her daughter battles recurring cancer, she wishes she could switch places with her...yet, even with limited mobility, she seems to be looking for ways to reach out to others.

On Sunday, Ms. Christine, drove herself to church. She usually parks right by the side door so she does not have far to walk and only has to maneuver two steps. However, with the special breakfast, someone had inadvertently parked in her usual spot, so she drove around and found a place, quite a distance away. Not being a complainer, she parked, got out and walked to the church and thankfully, made it inside safely. On her way out, unfortunately, she was not as lucky and while going out the front door of the church, the sun glared into her eyes and she missed the last step and fell. We all rushed to her and after having laid very still for a few minutes, she was helped to a sitting position and said "Well, I broke that shoulder." No crying. No hysterics. (I would have had both of those going on!) I have visited her twice in the hospital and she has no complaints. She smiles and says "You just have to take what life gives you."

I am shamed! Here I was, looking for an excuse not to go to church. I live right next door to the church. I don't have any aches or pains. I do not have any trouble walking. I am a measly few steps away. I can walk out my front door and be at church in less than a minute.

While visiting Ms. Bertha a number of times this week, she too, expressed a strong desire to be at church. More than anything she wants to be there with us to hear my husband preach and hear the music. She wants and needs the fellowship of her family in Christ. Ms. Bertha cannot walk without a walker. At her advanced age and with all of her mobility limits, she gets out of bed when able, gets ready for church. With the aide of a walker and dependant on others to help her in and out of a car, she makes her way to our church. This is a valiant effort on her part...yet she is more than willing to go through all of this, simply to be in God's House on Sunday mornings. Ms. Bertha could not be with us last Sunday because she had suffered a fall and had an infection.

Yet again, I am shamed.

Ms. Louise, who can only get around with the help of a walker that she affectionately refers to as "the Cadillac" would love to be able to attend church and see all of her old friends. This past week, while trying to share a box of candy with other residents across the hall...candy she said someone had brought her that was "a really good box of chocolates"....she too, took a fall. She scraped her elbow and for three days, had an awful sore shoulder. Ms. Louise was looking to bless another because she had been blessed...even while concern for her sick daughter weighs heavily on her heart, she found the strength to reach out to someone else.

I was shamed. I was walking around this week, feeling sorry for myself because my daughter was away visiting her father. My daughter is healthy and happy and not facing a disease while I am sitting somewhere helpless to change it. True, I miss my child, but she will be home in a few weeks.

As I looked into the eyes of all three of these amazing women this week....I was shamed. But more than that, I was blessed through each of them. They have an unquenchable thirst and love for the Lord. They do not say it in so many words....but their actions...the fruit they bear....proclaims it loudly!

"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." Prov. 16:31

My prayer for this week is for my heavenly Father to send saints like these to shame me on occasion....it truly spurs me into action!