Stop. Just watch a minute.

So, this past week has been a nut house.  I've been leaving my house at 6:00 a.m. and not getting back home until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.  By the time this week is through, I will have survived a few tornadoes, and lot of rain/hail, planned and executed a Wednesday night supper as a youth group fundraiser, taught 5 zumba classes in four days, spent 7 hours training for the triathlon next week, worked 42 hours, had several intense theological discussions, played board games with some people, and chose not to deal with my stanky workout clothes or dishes that are piling up.  I feel like I have been two steps behind in everything and I've had a severe case of "the stupid" which has affected my job as well as my home life.

Today, I was on empty.  I was counting down the hours until I would finally walk into my house and be able to fall into my own bed.  I was cranky and frazzled looking all day and after a bike ride, a zumba class, a full day of work,as well as a supper in a hot kitchen with a the youth group making baked potatoes, the last thing I wanted to do was go teach another Zumba class. But, I had agreed to help out a friend and serve as the program for her women's group and I felt like it was definitely too last minute to back out.  I showed up, did my thing, and afterwards when we were enjoying our fruit and crackers, I saw something that made my world stop.

Sitting at the table on the other side of the room, there was this woman, I don't know her name so will will call her Lily.  Lily  looked to be about 70, was in a wheelchair with well wore moccasins on her feet and long, beautiful fingernails graced the end of  hands that were cramped and disfigured with some sort of illness. She spoke softly and had a gentle smile, but it wasn't just her that caught my attention, there was someone with her.  We'll call him Stan. (because again, I didn't even catch his name).  Stan is maybe in his 30's.  He's seemed a little rough around the edges and looked like he had worked hard all day.  Here he was spending his evening with a group of women to care for Lily.  Bless his heart, he even Zumbaed with us. Now, I don't know if Stan and Lily are related, but watching him get her a  water and a plate of fruit was maybe this most meaningful thing I have seen in a long time.  He served her with a smile and whisper and took care of her by getting a fork for her banana and a straw for her water because she couldn't grip the glass.  Never once did he sigh in exasperation on his 14 trips to and from the kitchen and after she was settled, he sat next to her and quietly ate his fruit, sharing some of what he got with her, if she looked at crosswise at what was on his plate.

This past week has been a whirlwind for me, but this brief moment, these series of intimate and loving interactions between two people who had no idea I was looking, slapped me to a halt.  I have spent the past 48 hours bemoaning the fact that I had so much to do and blah-de-blah-de-blah that I had completely lost the reason for why I am living the way that I do.  I had gotten so caught up in the busy-ness and the frantic-ness that was this week, that I completely forgot about the One that I was doing it all for.

The world is in desperate need of more people like Stan.  People who are willing to serve without a sigh of frustration, people who will love unconditionally no matter what the hardship or struggle in front of them, people who are willing to serve day in and day out without looking around all the time to make sure someone is watching and seeing the good that they are doing.  So, Stan, where ever you are,  here is my one person standing ovation for you.  Here is my thank you note to you, a tired looking man just trying to make an old lady happy. Thank you.  Thank you for making me stop, and for just one moment, watch and think about someone else for five minutes.  My perspective has been rightfully corrected because of you.   Thank you for putting me in my place with nothing but a smile.