November 9, 2006

DON'T WE ALL


I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would
consider a bum.
From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no
money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times
that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't
want to be bothered times."
"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.
He didn't.
He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.
After a few minutes he spoke.
"That's a very pretty car," he said.
He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard keep more than his face warm.
I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.


He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came.
As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if
he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true
to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.
We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from
those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an
outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.
"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum
in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun.
Don't we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I
needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those
three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter
how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you
have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.
You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.
They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.
Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe
he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and
wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."
Don't we all?

November 8, 2006

Before I Was A Mom
Author Unknown


Before I was a mom I made and ate hot meals. I had unstained clothing. I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom I had complete control of my body and my mind. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure everything was ok. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonder and fulfillment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

November 7, 2006

Connect the Dots

As children we all played with those "connect the dots" puzzles. We would trace along the numbers from 1 to 2 to 3 ...until suddenly a picture appeared. It always amazed me that when it was just a page of hapless numbers, I was unable to see what it was meant to be and even as I traced along through the numbers, the meaning of the picture often remained a mystery until the end. The odd thing is, once the picture appeared, it was easy to see the outline and I would wonder why I hadn't been able to guess it earlier.

Life is a lot like a "connect the dots" puzzle. The direction of our life takes many turns, changing jobs leading to new relationships, lessons learned from bad choices guiding us towards inward reflection, one casual decision moves us toward an unsuspecting detour, while our purpose in life remains unclear to us. And as we trace along more and more "dots" in our life, what appeared as random events, fall together with profound meaning. We begin to glimpse our direction and what once was a puzzle to us suddenly becomes clear.

Maybe it is part of a bigger plan, maybe it is hindsight, but what was once the big mistake we thought we'd regret forever becomes the lesson that taught us compassion, the cherished friendships carefully nurtured over the years holds us close when crisis strikes, and the unsuspecting detour leads us safely toward home.