Dignity and Beauty

This past week I took my mom to see a new doctor.  As we entered the office, we heard unusual sounds coming from the waiting room.  An elderly woman in a wheelchair was making, for want of a better description, animal sounds - growling, yelping, screeching.  As unnerved as my mom was, she took my arm and went on in to be seated and wait for her appointment.  It was clear that the woman in the waiting room was a stroke victim.  As the next few minutes went by, I gained an appreciation for the power of love and devotion in action.

There were two other women with her - a relative and a caregiver.  They were engaging her in conversation, checking with her to make sure they were correctly interpreting her sounds.  The caregiver was carefully feeding her bits of soft banana (she had no teeth) and cleaning her mouth as she finished chewing each bite.  She would say, "That's good, isn't it?"  and "I'm glad you like this banana."  In many ways, it was reminiscent of a mother with a child - articulating and interpreting an experience for someone who was non-verbal.  After a bit, the old lady waved at my mom and "spoke" to her as well, and mom, always a people person, greeted her with a "good morning!" 

I had time to observe these ladies closely in the few minutes we had together in that waiting room.  The caregiver and the relative had taken time to prepare her for this appointment.  She was in clean clothes, and her grey hair had been pulled back and a tidy hair-piece (bun) placed on top.  She didn't have much hair anymore, but I guessed that they had tried to arrange it in the way she used to wear it.  She had real shoes on - not slippers.  Most impressive to me, though, was her confidence.  Even though she couldn't talk anymore, she was still mentally active and wanted to be engaged with those around her.  More outstanding than that, though, was the dignity that she had, even as an incapacitated person.  The careful attention to the details of her care helped convey that.

 A quick glance through that waiting room that morning would not have revealed anything particularly outstanding, but witnessing the love and care extended to this old woman was like witnessing an unexpected rainbow - delightful and beautiful.  She will be in my mind for a long time.

The Wrappings of Love

It's been a looong time since Valentine's Day! The days have been so full of changes and challenges that I've hardly had a moment to think, and thinking is the essence of writing. Hence, no blog posts!

Today is Good Friday, though, and I have had some moments to reflect this morning. Uppermost on my mind is one of the odd things about love. Our depiction of love is usually "sweet" - relaxing and beautiful environments, that special someone with adoring eyes looking at us, and the joy of giving (love is about giving, after all!) in ways that bring us a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure. Sometimes love is experienced this way.

The aspect of love I'm pondering today though is the not-so-pleasant presentation of love -- intense suffering and paralyzing grief. So many people that I love are in the throes of suffering right now, and my heart breaks. My heart grieves. My mind reels and cries out for an end to it. I've had my own physical challenges as well, and it's hard to remember sometimes that I'm in the hands of a loving God.

Good Friday puts it in perspective, though. How bleak that day was for those who loved Jesus. How unbelievably difficult it was for Him as He anticipated it all in the Garden of Gethsemene. Yet, "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame." (Hebrews 12:2b) That joy was the salvation of His people! That joy was life from death!

Love was wrapped up in bloody, sorrowful suffering and death. It was a gruesome sight, an utterly hopeless moment for those who loved Jesus that day. They couldn't see yet that the awful day was a prelude to the most glorious day in history - the resurrection!

I'm looking forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Sunday. I'm also praying for faith to see the hand of love behind the sufferings of this present day. And, I'm giving thanks for the reminder of Good Friday.

Celebrating Love

If one day of celebration is good, a week is better!

That's my philosophy about almost every holiday and it holds true for Valentine's Day as well. Will you celebrate with me? Here's the challenge: I'm focusing on one aspect of I Corinthians 13 (the great love chapter) each day of the week and prayerfully seeking to love as Christians are called to love. It's much costlier than flowers and chocolate in some ways, but the riches are for those around you and for your soul.

Monday, Feb. 14 - Love is patient. Prepare early in the morning (with prayer) to patiently meet those daily challenges and glitches to your plans. Bless those around you with the peace of a patient spirit!

Tuesday, Feb. 15 - Love is kind. Don't be random; be intentional. Who needs kindness today?

Wednesday, Feb. 16 - Love is not envious. Put down the magazine, turn off the ads, and make a list of blessings to give thanks for!

Thursday, Feb. 17 - Love does not seek its own. What can you give up today in order to give to someone else? Your right to some "me" time? That manicure you've been wanting? Our perhaps you have the opportunity to be flexible because of someone else's need or lack of planning. ☺

Friday, Feb. 18 - Love thinks no evil. Here's a challenge - speak only words of blessing to other motorists today! Don't assume that people are idiots. There are so many applications for this one -- see what God has for you!

Enjoy your week of love! ♥
(and feel free to share your stories here!)