Thursday, April 10, 2014

Lent Day 31: WIGIAT? Marilyn

Each day during Lent I will be updating my blog based on WIGIAT? or Where is God in all this?

Today, I was visiting a member of the congregation who lives in a nursing home. As one of the other residents walked by, she gave a wave and invited him in, saying, I want you to meet my pastor. Bob came in, and I greeted him. I shared my joke, April showers bring May flowers, but what do Mayflowers bring? Pilgrims! and he didn't get it. But he did share about is garden, and a few other things. He seemed a little sad about his circumstances, but also shared how happy he was to have Marilyn as a friend, saying she always smiled at him. After he left, Marilyn introduced me to her roommate for at least the 3rd time, and told me how nice it was to have a roommate she got along with. Then, when it was time for me to leave, Marilyn walked me out, and introduced me to at least 5 staff members. It was so nice to be around someone that found such joy in the people around her, and passed that joy on to them.

While I was with her, I talked about one of my favorite books, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. In this children's book, a little boy and a tree have a relationship, that changes through time, until the boy is an old man, and the tree is just a stump. In this last stage, the tree is delighted to be able to give the man a place to sit and rest. Marilyn, who doesn't have a lot of freedom to go and do whatever she wants, reminds me of the tree that is still happy to give whatever she has to offer.

God, has given us all the ability to give, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. It comes in seeing the gifts that are the people and world we have around us, and delighting and sharing in those gifts. God was present in Marilyn, her friends, and the people of the nursing home today, and I am grateful to have experienced it.

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