Loving Others Till it Hurts

Asherel had a busy day yesterday, a lot to do and limited time to do it. But, it was also her day to volunteer teaching an art class at the nursing home. We both do that once a month, and the residents really look forward to it. So despite a good bit of school work, she gathered the art supplies and we headed off for our hour with the elderly folk.

There was quite a large group gathered; lots of spry and willing souls eager to try their hand at drawing a penguin. One old faithful was using a walker now. Last month, he was not. One woman fell asleep halfway before finishing her penguin's feet, then woke up, and finished. Another who was new to our drawing class finished her penguin as we were packing up and said, "I'd like you to come see a painting in my room." Asherel was anxious to get home and finish her school work, but of course, we could not say no. We had to go see the painting in Lee's room.

She led us to her room, just around the corner and proudly showed us three original paintings by a friend of hers. They were fairly amateurish, but it was clear Lee loved them.
"Well thank you for showing us the lovely paintings," I said, as we inched to the door.
"Oh there's more!" she said, leading us to another wall, "This one is of flowers...I just love the vase."
We made all the appropriate murmurs of appreciation, and again I thanked her for showing us the lovely paintings.
As we headed for the door, she stopped at a dresser with framed photos on it.
"This is my great grand baby," she said, pointing to one, "See her tiny toes!"
We both peered closely at the tiny toes, and inched closer to the door.
"And this is my grandson," she said, "He has diabetes. He always asks,'Why me?' He has had it since being born."
Behind the photos of her grandchildren was a large plaque, given to a man who was in the airforce during WWII.
"Was this for your husband?" I asked.
I knew he was no longer alive. It was evident from the decor and absence of his presence in the room.
"Yes," she said, "And here are his medals."
She led us to a framed shadow box, filled with medals and ribbons and military awards. She explained what each precious medal was for.
"And this," she said, picking up a little model jeep, "Was the very exact jeep he drove. Isn't it something? I ordered it special for him."
"I'll bet he loved it," I said.
"Yes, he did."

Many minutes later, we eased out of the room, and headed down the elevator. Just as we almost walked out the front door, another elderly woman called out to us.
"Are you the art teacher?" she asked.
"Yes, my daughter and I are," I said.
"I was so sorry to miss your class!" she said, "I had an appointment to do my nails, and then when they finished, I had fallen asleep! Your class was over when I woke up."
Well, it turns out, she was an art teacher during her working years, and she regaled us with stories of drugging puppies so they would sleep while her art class drew them.
Many minutes later, we finally walked out the front door.

Asherel still had a few hours of school work left, but the people who had stopped us had seemed so lonely, so anxious to talk, so eager to remember a past that was now gone. How could we not stop and listen?

Our sermon Sunday was from Galatians 5. In that chapter is a list of the "fruit of the Spirit." If every Christian continually exhibited those characteristics, people would be beating down the doors of Heaven to be near God. Sadly, many of us fall short. But the Pastor urged us to practice the lovely qualities in that list. "Go and be kind to someone this week," our pastor suggested. He reminded us that we do not grow more Christ-like on our own power alone. God is with us every step of the way. Nonetheless, the worldly desires of "the flesh" will be in battle every day against the spiritual manifestation of Christ in us. But every time we make a choice for kindness, or gentleness, or goodness, we grow more closely to the image of what God means for us to be. The day was a somber one with the mass shooting (again) in Washington. I know there will be the typical call for gun control in its wake, but I believe the call should be for reaching out to everyone we can in love and kindness. The issue is not guns. It is the heart and the soul of every human being. How do we change the heart? We don't...but God can, and we CAN go out into the world with the love of God.

I noticed as we shut the door of the nursing home behind us, Lee had followed us down, and was standing in the hallway, watching us leave.
"We'll be back next month!" I promised.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV)


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