Today I sat down to have a quick bite of lunch with our church's administrative assistant. The two of us were moaning slightly about the 473 things that needed to be tended to by the end of the week: this event, that meeting, this pesky person, that phone call, these problems, those issues.
In the middle of all of this complaining, a young woman who is a member of our congregation came in to pick up some materials for a kindergarten class she will be teaching this summer. She has three beautiful kids of her own - an eight year old, a seven year old, and an infant.
And her husband was killed on the job three months ago.
None of us here sees her without thinking of the crushing pain she has experienced. It's impossible (and appropriately so) to talk to her without sensing how tender she must still be.
The administrative assistant found the materials the young mother needed, then came and sat back down to lunch saying, "Well, things aren't too bad around here I guess, huh?"
Indeed. What an important and centering lesson that was for the two of us. We would all do well, when life piles it on thick, to remember that there is always someone out there who is more in need of a break, more in need of compassion, and more in need of help than us. After all, how can I be of any help to other people when I'm only thinking about myself?
2 comments:
Needed that.
:) Me too.
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