If Everyone Cared

I visited a woman that I have known for years today for the first time. Let me explain what I mean by this. We have a wonderful husband and wife team that cleans the church that I work at. They are hard working, dedicated and care about the church very much. It is a daily occurance for me to see this woman walk into my office, take out my trash, share some small talk and then walk out leaving me to my "busy" schedule. There have been many times that I have viewed her appearance at my door to remove my waste as an intrusion on my valuable study time. Truthfully though she is a wonderful woman who works hard, making a concerted effort to brighten the day of the occupant of each office she enters. I appreciate her greatly.

Her mother was moved from her room at the local rest home to the hospital the other day with a severe kidney infection. Needless to say she is very upset and distraught about the whole ordeal. I spoke with her momentarily at the church and then met with her again in the hospital room of her mother. It was there that I met her for the first time. There I saw a woman who has been married for years and has grown children and grandchildren crying over her mother who is very near 90. She had a certain sense of fear about losing her mother. I had never known her attachment to her mother was so strong and it moved me. I saw a side of her that I do not see as she moves through my office collecting the papers and such that I toss out and then moved on possibly not to be seen again by me the rest of the day. This hospital visit was about her so much more than her mother. It was my friend, the janitor, the one who takes care to remove the things I find unnecessary and bothersome whom I was there to spend time with. We prayed together and then I reminded her that she was loved and appreciated. She responded, "I guess someone has to be there to take out the trash." My heart immediately hurt for her as I prayed that she did not truly feel that was the sum totality of her worth. I spoke gently to her saying, "I hope you know that you are worth far more than that to us." With a thank you and down turned head she looked back at her mom.

I spent a few more moments speaking to her and then I left. Walking down the corridor of the hospital I began to think about the lack of compassion that I am certain I sometimes display. Now understand something, I always feel compassion towards others but it is my actions that demonstrate my compassion. How often do I fail to look up from my desk as she walks in disturbing my personal space and not even speak a solid word of gratitude for her commitment to our church? How often do I forget to fulfill the promises of prayers that I make to those who look to me with tear filled eyes just wanting someone to care enought to ask God's presence to be with them? How often have I been too busy to give someone a ride, spend some time of phone with a person who needs companionship because my son is crying about God know's what this time, or refused kind words and gestures to those who most desperately need to feel God's love?

It is easy for me to lock myself up in my office and work deligently on sermons, research or just studying or reading for enjoyment and never engage another soul. Unfortunately for me this is not my calling. My calling is to engage others with the love of the living God and care deeply about their lives. The group Nickelback has a song entitled "If Everyone Cared" that impacted me recently when I heard it. It is a love song but does have a positive social message. The Chorus reads, "If everyone cared and nobody cried,If everyone loved and nobody lied,If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,We'd see the day, when nobody died." I pray that my heart will be broken by the injustice, lonliness and isolation that others feel. I pray that I will love extravagantly as God does and i pray that I will always demonstrate the compassion of God with my life. There are too many people hurting for me not to care. Afterall, if I am to be called Christian then my service is to others. My friend Ben Felder said it well when he said, " We need to take on the sacrificial spirit of Jesus and live our lives in love of others. I think this is what makes living a Holy life so important. Holiness does not always mean abstaining from sin. It means going a step or two further and imitating God." Grace and Peace.