Go Ahead... Make My Day!

We spent yesterday afternoon with some wonderful friends.  They ended up staying for over a couple of hours and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.  They are the parents of a good friend of our younger two kids from their band days at Santa Rosa Christian School.  I can’t say that we were really close to them while our kids were in school, but our friendship was revived and strengthened when they recently heard of my wife’s health battles.  I don’t mean for this to sound derogatory toward anyone, but it has been very interesting to learn who our true friends are as my wife’s conditioned worsened.

What was so meaningful to me was to watch Dee as she smothered Piper with her unfettered attention.  At one point she knelt before Piper, lifted up her head, looked into her eyes and sang an old hymn about the love of Jesus that she felt the Lord had put on her heart specifically for my wife.  Then she spent quite a while talking to Piper, reminding her of how they knew each other, about our kids friendship, and on many other subjects that Piper might remember from their mutual past.

I got so emotional at one time that I had to break into their conversation and just thank Dee for loving on Piper.  Not many people have done that for her.  Most “friends” and even some relatives we see will say a word or two to my wife and then ignore her when she doesn’t reply.  I understand that they may be uncomfortable with the situation, but it is simply stunning to see someone like Dee let go of any personal inhibitions and give of themselves totally to another in need.  It was almost like Jesus himself was kneeling next to my wife yesterday sharing with her.  And I guess in some respects He was… through Dee!

We had another incident that demonstrated this same giving attitude as we went for our afternoon walk before dinner last night.  On our way back from our laps around the lake, we met a gentleman who was walking his big dog.  (probably about twice the size of our 50 lb Australian Shepherd)  It is always fun to me to see how people walking their dogs respond when we meet up with them!  Well, this guy was different in that he moved off the sidewalk to make room for my wife’s chair, but then stood there so that he could talk with us.  He was very comfortable at having his dog meet Mandie and we talked as the two pooches sniffed and then frolicked around as much as their respective leashes allowed them to!  The young man was very gracious to Piper and we had a nice conversation.

Then as we came up the long driveway to the garages near the homes, we came upon a little boy and two ladies walking in the opposite direction.  I had to laugh as the little guy squished up as close as he could to the opposite side garages (about 25 feet away from us) and quickly, with great in trepidation ran past us without saying a word even though I had smiled and said “hello.”  Now granted, he might have been scared by the dog, but he was looking at my wife and not at our pooch.  So I just shrugged my shoulders and looked up to greet the two women who were about 10 feet behind him.  But, to my dismay they totally ignored Piper and I, looked the other way, and then resumed talking amongst themselves.  After we had passed by, I raised my eyebrow and said quietly to Piper, “Well, I can see why the little boy was afraid!”  I think as parents, we sometimes pass our fears down to our kids whether we realize it or not.

So what point am I trying to make here?  It just goes back to one of my favorite subjects, which is the love of God!  Before I turned the lights out last night I read a portion from the new book I am reading where the author stated that he has come to learn that the opposite of fear is not faith (as I also thought) but love.  He finally came to the place in his life where he realized, through many experiences, that “When we learn to (intimately know and) accept love from the Father (God), we can exercise faith even in the midst of our fear.” (Signs, Wonders and a Baptist Preacher © 2013 by Chad Norris, Chosen Books, Bloomington, Minnesota 55438- pg 161 – parenthesis mine)

Sometimes in this life we have to move through the fear that we might feel when we see someone or something that is “different” than what we may be used to, and simply trust in the love of the Father to reach out and make a difference in other people’s lives.  I cannot tell you of how special and loved it made me feel to see our friends reach out to my wife.  She continues to be the most important and loving individual in my life.  She always brightened the room in which she entered, and would unreservedly reach out to anyone who looked or acted differently and shower them with the love of God with her sweet smile, an encouraging word or simply a hand on their shoulder.  It breaks my heart now as I see the fear in people’s eyes as they look at her today, and then ignore her.

On the other hand, it warms my entire being as I see the few who unashamedly reach out and touch her with the love of God.  I would encourage you today to go out of your way to reach out to someone who maybe a little different.  Reach past your fears, trust in the love of our heavenly Father and make another’s day special!  Have a good day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What (or Who) am I expecting (to bless) today?”