I’ve been thinking a lot about the blog post from a few weeks ago, about Being the Peace. The Bible passage about the body of Christ resonates strongly with me: we all have unique gifts and talents that are vital to doing God’s work. If you asked those closest to me to describe me, introvert and detail-oriented are words that would come up. Given this, how am I supposed to be the peace for others? Am I bringing peace with a typo-free bulletin and matching worship slides? Maybe a little. But God leads us into situations where we can flex and grow our peace-giving muscles, and, like any good work-out, it’s only a little uncomfortable.
My family went to Graeter’s recently to spend some time together before my daughter left for college. We went to the Liberty Center location to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful evening. Soon after we sat down, a little boy near the splash fountain caught our eye. His family was sitting next to us, and they keep telling him to not get wet. “He has a port” Greg whispered to me. We politely smiled at the family. The man smiled back and told us how the little boy had an amazing amount of energy for a kid with cancer. Now, as a capital ‘I’ Introvert I could easily justify leaving it at polite smiles and go back to planning worship graphics in my head. But I’m also a parent, and something in me had to help out. I asked if I could take the boy to see how the bear fountain squirts water but doesn’t get you wet. The boy and I went off to the fountain. We walked around it slowly at first, so I could read him all the bear biographies, but soon he was running around, giggling while he made the fountains shoot water. I quickly gave up keeping pace with him, and just watched him run around.
He reluctantly rejoined his family after Mom called him a few times. My family bid theirs a good night and we headed for home. On the way home, my family shared with me all the words those worried parents had poured out: they were here from out of town so their son could get treatment at the Cincinnati Children’s Cancer Center. He was being treated for a reoccurring tumor behind his eye. Dad was keeping the family landscaping business going remotely, trying to deal with all the downed trees in the Dayton area in the aftermath of the recent tornadoes. So they were dealing with customers’ insurance claims and their own health care insurance paperwork, on top of work and keeping a busy boy safe and healthy.
We don’t know that family’s name, or what has happened to them. I don’t really need to know. I pray for them, and I am grateful God led my family into an opportunity to be the peace for them, if only for a little while.
Peace Be With You,
Cara