It Is Well

It's that wonderful time between dinner and before celebration. You know, you're dressed nice and ready to rock but you're stuck at the dinner table eating slowly because worship isn't for another hour? The only difference for me is I'm back at the apartments and because they even have wireless internet in Nebraska (did you know they had it for free at a rest stop in IOWA??? You can't even get free internet at Starbucks and you can get it at a rest stop in Iowa--of course you have to be in Iowa, the trade off there is a tough one).

Back to my point, I have the opportunity to attempt to put a thought down on cyberpaper before I head off to worship. I really hope this comes out right since I don't know all the PC terms out there but here goes?

Yesterday Ben and I were working our magic at the lumber yard/hardware store here in Norfolk. It's one of the fun things about our job since we get to spend money on the projects and all but this particular store sucks. Sorry, but its true. However they have a monopoly here in Norfolk so were stuck. So anyway, they only have 2 lanes open all day, one express and one regular. We never make express purposes so we're stuck in the regular one. Yesterday all day, from before 8 until almost 5 it was the same girl working. She had a some physical handicaps that restricted her ability to walk or talk overly well but she did a great job and was super friendly. The first time or two through the line we didn't talk much but by trip 5 or 6 we were talking more and it was a cool thing for me. I tried my best to treat her like any other employee but found myself trying to do things for her and yet she was more than qualified for the job she had.

Today we were picking up some other supplies and I was sitting in the truck waiting and I saw a van pull up. In it was a lady and a 20 something boy with down's. He was on his paper route and she was helping him, he happened to have all the downtown businesses. She got out and handed him all his papers and he immediately heads across main street, straight into traffic. She yells, a car screeches to a halt and he books it across the street and into the first store. A few minutes later he'd completed all his stops in the small downtown and in the van they loaded up and were off.

I guess it hits me because I'm watching kids who paid $185 to come work. Becuase they can. They don't have any restrictions, they don't have anything to "overcome' and I'm not saying their better, I'm not saying the two incredible people I've seen are unhappy or anything like that, it just hit me how incredibly blessed we are, how our problems, our struggles at times make me feel so. dang. guilty.

I love this job. I love how it kicks my perspective in the butt and makes me hate some parts of my only child mentality. I love how I watch a group come together and achieve something that at first looks impossible. I love the leaders who help them achieve those goals. I love them and I tell them that at every week I'm a part of because without Steve, Dan, Steve, Michelle, LeAnn, Pam, Ret, Brian, Dale, Melanie, Larry, Lori, Dianne and so many others my time in youth ministry would have been so lame. I love it because those people give up vacation, time with family, a trip to the cabin or whatever to invest in something so much bigger. And it is beautiful.

I watched that lady help the fella with his paper route and it was beautiful. I watched a girl teach me how to use 3 tab shingles today and it was beautiful. I watched kids paint a mural in a shelter for abused and neglected kids and it was beautiful. I watched a lady with some physical struggles arrive back at the hardware store today for another day of work with a smile on her face and a look of pride in her eye and it was beautiful. Because at the end of the day it is really all about whether we ever get off our butt and do something for the world or we choose to stay self absorbed and consumed with who we are and what we need.

I finished my book on Clemente, the old baseball player who died in a plane crash trying to help out those hurt in an earthquake. The book was moving, and from it I leave you with a quote of what was his mantra in life:

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on earth."

Amen.