Since all of my students are on Christmas break I have been working a lot more at the hospital. I have to admit that while I do generally enjoy my work, any sort shift in the schedule upsets the extremely delicate balance I have worked so hard to make it that way.
Last Wednesday was my random one day off in a long string and I was looking forward to spending it visiting with some good friends. My friends live about 40 miles south of me so I try to take advantage of making such a long trip by adding in other things I need to do in that direction. That morning it was taking the car in for service.
I left the house early as I had accepted the first appointment of the day. Traffic was a bit heavy so I was late by a few minutes. As I hoped out of the car and started inside I suddenly realized my keys were still in the car and the car was locked! Oy Vey!
Fortunately it was only about an hours walk to World Vision where my mom works. It was a cold morning but the walk gave me time to reflect. Of all of the days this could happen at least I had the time to deal with it today. Was it really that bad, more embarrassing that anything I guess. So I spent part of the morning praying as I walked.
I was able to borrow mom's car to drive all the way to my sister's place to get the key to my house and then to my house to get the spare keys. A few hours later I arrived back at World Vision to deliver mom's car to her. Of course with mom being mom, she didn't want me to walk back to the mechanic. "I get off early at 4 today, you can wait here for me." Ahhh... It was only 1 at that time.
So there I sat in the lobby of World Vision with my laptop half working, half people watching. Then I noticed a family outside looking at the statues of Jesus and the little children. As they entered, the children (a boy and girl about ages 8 and 1l) excitedly ran up to my mom's desk. They wanted to buy farm animals for people in Africa.
Of course mom is the receptionist and switch board operator, not the person who takes the donations. She tried to explain this to the family but the disappointment on the children's faces was just too much. As she called around to find a solution, the kids counted and recounted the precious money they had earned for this specific purpose.
They managed to create a elaborate plan to maximize their gift using every last dollar they had. Mom filled out the papers and gave them each a little receipt which their mom said she would hang on their Christmas tree.
"I hope you are rich when you grow up, you would just give it all away," said the mother to the little girl.
As I thought about that statement I thought about all the different ways we could be rich and all the different ways we could give it away. I'm hoping to take that as a challenge.
3 comments:
oh dear! *referring to the keys* ..you know Morgenroth..mom said that about me too when i was little.. now im 30, and i still am like that.. praying each year to tell God if He could give me a bit more, because I want to give it away.. but things dont work this way of course.. anyhow.. Hope you always keep your balance despite the shift work ! Meiyi
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