beWARM

In the medical world, cardiomegaly isn’t a disease; it is a sign of another condition caused by stress on the body or weakening of the heart, among other things.

In the world of eye missions, heart enlargement is a natural result of assisting those who would otherwise not have access to vision care.

After helping the people in Riohacha, Colombia, our hearts are expanded, filled up with the joy of serving and sharing God’s love with those in need.

My tears arrived on the first day of the project, when Sheiber, pictured above, arrived. He came to the clinic last year as a three month old with a retinoblastoma in his left eye. By the grace of God (and the expert diagnosis of our doctors), he had the tumor removed and the cancer had not spread.

His prosthesis was barely apparent. And this year his other eye was examined under anesthesia, and found to be healthy.

The gratitude and joy that his parents expressed permeated all of our hearts.

And this was but one life that our team impacted among the thousands of patients we saw.

Our team members were already equipped with expandable hearts before our arrival. Their desire to serve the poor prompted them to join our Medical Ministry International team in the first place.

And I believe that we all left Colombia with our hearts widened to the fullest.

The stories are endless…

• A patient gave up her place in the line when she heard that a man who needed cataract surgery couldn’t have the procedure unless he had a companion to accompany him to the hospital. And she did this for a total stranger. (We did make sure that she was seen the next day, without having to wait hours in line.)
• A young boy with very poor vision received his first pair of glasses, and began to read everything in his line of sight. When our team member wanted to clean his glasses before he took them home, he didn’t want to take them off!
• Many people who had lost an eye due to disease or accident received a protheses. Young women who previously couldn’t obtain a job or were deemed unattractive had a new lease on life.

The mother of  5 year old Elizabeth arrived on our last day with a letter to our whole team, thanking us for correcting her daughter’s strabismus (crossed eye). The beautiful, touching letter that she  and her daughter wrote was read to our team at our final dinner. She expressed her regret that the letter was all that she could give to us to express her gratitude.

But we assured her, amidst our tears, that her words were the best gift of all.

We were blessed by the tireless efforts of the many volunteers without whose help we couldn’t have accomplished our work.

No job was insignificant. And each person took pride in what they did  –  from the translators, to those who helped with patient flow, to the lovely ladies that kept the restrooms tidy. Everyone served with a smile.

And I can’t help but think that during this project their hearts expanded a bit, too.

The memory of the beautiful people in Riohacha will linger forever.

And we hope and pray that our work, representing God’s infinite love and mercy, will take root and blossom in their hearts.

But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. ~ James 3:17 (GNT)

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We all know the feeling… that post-prandial somnolence after our Thanksgiving dinners – when our turkeys are not the only things who are stuffed!

How fortunate we are to be able to gather freely with family and friends and share a special meal to appreciate the blessings in our lives.

During the early years of our marriage, my husband and I would eat two Thanksgiving dinners; we grew up in the same town, and our houses were just a couple of blocks apart.  Our strategy was that each of us would eat more at our own family’s home, thinking that would prevent overconsumption.

Invariably, we ended the day uncomfortably full, having tried to graciously appreciate (i.e., chomp with gusto!) the culinary delights offered by the wonderful cooks in our families.

And as much as we told ourselves ahead of time that we wouldn’t go for seconds, we always succumbed.

Oh, our aching stomachs!

At the end of the day, we vowed that the following year would be different – but that only changed when my parents moved away, thereby relieving us of our double duty.

Foodies that we are, we still managed to overindulge – at only one dinner table – in fine style.

When it was my turn to continue the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner, I had new appreciation for the amount of time and effort it took our moms and grandmothers to prepare the meal.

As the years passed, I began to see that the plethora of organizational details and the largesse of the meal were distractions that diminished the real focus of the day – gratitude for even the least of our blessings.

Grateful for this realization, my holiday preparations took a new direction.

Delicious and abundant food, though still enjoyed, became secondary – and those around the table were the greater delights of the day.

This year, a new thought came to mind…

What about doing extra helpings as part of our Thanksgiving traditions?

The possibilities are endless, and needn’t break the budget.

Here are a few:

• Call someone who could use cheering up, or someone you haven’t been in touch with for a while, just to say you’re thinking of them.
• Reach out to mend a broken relationship.
• Visit someone who is alone – or invite them to your Thanksgiving table.
• Give flowers to the person behind you in the grocery line – just because. (A lovely lady did this to me once, and I have passed it on.)
• Pray for someone you know who is hurting or suffering from health problems.

The ideas are endless; and you are all creative and resourceful enough to come up with some great possibilities.  Maybe you could even share your ideas!

I challenge us all to do some extra helpings this week, this season.

…And seconds at the Thanksgiving table are okay, too.

But above all, let’s fill the cornucopia of our hearts with love, grace and kindness for everyone in our lives, as we thank God for His overflowing Providence.

Let me shout God’s name with a praising song, Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks. ~Psalm 69:30 (The Message)

After over 15 years of warmth, coziness, and comfort, I had to part with my favorite slippers. They were actually a bit of an embarrassment – worn out, and very tired looking. As sad as I was to say my goodbyes, this action was symbolic.

Relinquishing these old friends represented my efforts to dispose of some ways of thinking that had been firmly imbedded in my being – reactions to situations or words that were habitual, automatic.

And that were not necessarily the most empowering, positive, or peace-producing thoughts.

They ranged anywhere from feeling impatient and frustrated while in the longest checkout line at the grocery store to creating a three act mental drama from an relatively innocuous comment.

Sigh…

Can anyone else relate to responding to the “ouchies” of everyday life in ways we would rather not revisit?

How easy it is to start slip-sliding into old ways at the slightest provocation when we get distracted and a little off course in our daily doings.

Each time I find myself wrapped up in those tired ideas, I pray and ask for God to help me with a fresh new cerebral ensemble.

Thankfully, my repeated efforts to recognize my off-target, mistaken thinking and the reactions thereof have had mild success.

On occasion, I have even been able to rein in thoughts before they invade my mind at breakneck speed.

Suddenly, I can choose not to start slipping into my old ways.

Those runaway emotions lose their momentum, fizzled out at the start.

Refashioning our behavior is a lifelong journey, and one that, when successful, has great rewards.

And it certainly makes us even more aware that God is present, and ready to receive our cast-offs.

I am still searching for a pair of replacement slippers.

But in the meantime, I’ll enjoy the pleasure of being on solid footing as I follow His lead.

I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

~ Psalm 84:18-19 NLT