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I just returned from the hospital. I was visiting Sister Estella.
I haven’t been keeping up on visitation lately. This is especially
true when it comes to Estella. I’m not making excuses, but simply
stating facts. Sometimes it seems as though there is so much to do
that I can’t get it all done. And sometimes knowing that I can’t
do everything makes me respond by doing almost nothing. When I see
this happening within myself, it leaves me no choice but to do what I
seem to do all too often, rededicate myself to the work.
If you’ve never had an opportunity to talk with Estella, let me take a
shot at describing the experience. It’s like getting a memory
download. Given enough time, she will tell you about everything in
her life that she remembers. And she’ll do this without the need
for you to ask her any questions. Unfortunately, the effects of
aging have caused her to be somewhat uncertain of the things that
happened yesterday as opposed to the things that happened 50 years ago.
If you listen carefully, however, you can put that context together for
yourself. The one thing that always stands out is her smile.
Estella is one of those people that you go to encourage, and find later
that you are the one who was encouraged.
As I was listening to Estella talk (that’s what I do when I visit her) a
nurse came in. She needed to restart her I. V. Estella began
to speak to the nurse, and the nurse began to answer. The nurse’s
tone was kind, but condescending. I found it offensive. It
was obvious that she really wasn’t listening to Estella. To the
nurse, Estella was just another aged woman in a hospital bed that didn’t
know what she was saying. If she would listen instead of
answering, she might find that this isn’t true. You see I’ve
learned from listening, that Estella has many important things to tell
us.
Estella tells me that her father was a black man and her mother was a
white woman. She comments “A lot of people don’t think it’s right
for the races to mix.” I think this must have been especially true
considering how long ago this had been. Estella says that it was
hard for her mom and dad, but they held their family together because
they really loved each other. That’s important! In most
wedding vows we come across the term “forsaking all others”. We
rarely consider the scope of the term “all others”. Sometimes it
means all other family, or all other friends. Estella’s parents
clung to each other forsaking all others. That’s important.
I wish that more couples did.
Estella says, “a person ought to get a job and work!” She includes
the exclamation point as she says it. Then she said, “and when you
get a job, be on time!” Next she tells us, “enjoy your work!”
All of this is important! It seems that many in our world have
made a full time occupation of being unemployed. I’m not talking
about those that are truly disabled. I’m talking about the able
bodied people that are maybe too proud or too lazy to work for minimum
wage. God created people to work (Gen 2: 15, Eph 2: 10).
When we work hard at avoiding labor, we are simply working against God’s
plan for us. By the way, enjoying our work is a choice. If
we don’t enjoy our work, it’s not necessarily because of the job.
Sometimes it’s because of us. If others enjoy the job that you
have, and you don’t, maybe the problem is not the job.
“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction
in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.” (Eccl 2: 24 NIV)
“So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work,
because that is his lot.” (Eccl 3: 22 NIV) Work is
important!
Estella says we ought to work at the church as well. That’s
important. She tells me that when she was younger, she didn’t know
how to help out at the church. Then she noticed that the floor
needed sweeping. The songbooks needed straitening up.
“There’s always something to do,” she said. Even if the job is
already being done, I’m sure that whoever is doing it would appreciate
your help. I know that God sees and is pleased. Working with
the local church is important. And we all have something that we
can do.
Estella says, “You gotta trust God.” Like most of us, and perhaps
more than many of us, she has seen a lot of bad things happen in her
life. She’s seen many good things as well. She’s seen a lot
of things that she didn’t understand. Her husband died when he was
“too young”. She remembers telling him that he shouldn’t be out
shoveling snow. She said “He worked so hard for the Lord, that I
don’t know why he took him. You just gotta trust God and keep on
trusting Him!” That’s important!
“Shall we accept good from God, and not
trouble?” (Job 2: 10 NIV).
Finally brethren, it’s important to visit the Estella’s of the church.
I know that sometimes we think that it’s a thankless job. (So was
crucifixion for that matter, and visitation isn’t nearly as difficult or
painful) Sometimes we’re not even sure that those who we visit
even know who we are. But God knows who we are, and He sees and He
is pleased. Besides, I already told you that I’m the one who
leaves encouraged. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do
good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of
faith.” (Gal 6: 10) That’s
important!
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