Do Unto Others

I am never finished. I never arrive or achieve or accomplish. As fast as I begin to get the hang of a thing, another is set out before me to work through. I do not mind this for I love growing beyond myself. The task at hand? Do unto others...

A thousand commercials tell me that I am the center of the universe. Billboards, magazines, and my own selfish nature spur me on to grab what I can, spend as much time as I can on serving myself. The end result of self-centeredness is loneliness and dissatisfaction in everything. Join in. This been the relentless message of the past few months. Fortunately the response of friends and neighbors to Charlie's struggle has given me a better direction.

We've not lived here long and I often worry. Who can we turn to if we need help? A needless thought. Neighbors rallied and picked up and dropped off childen. People dropped by the hospital. Pastor, neighbors, and our favorite visitor...a young father who just started working for Stuart a few months ago. He prayed over Charlie on his way into surgery and then returned the next evening to check on him. He is fifteen years younger and many years wiser in the ways of joining in with the lives of those around him. An example we will not forget.

The phone rang and cards came in the mail all wishing comfort and a speedy recovery. Our favorite package...one packed by the hands of a young boy and girl in Texas. Children we have never met! Their mother and I are friends via our blogs. Xandra offers mountains of encouragement in my comment section and because she is one who knows how to join in, words were not enough for her when she read Charlie's story.

So Nathan and Gracie illustrated colorful cards for Charlie on construction paper and signed them with big, exuberant letters.

They picked out Mix-Em markers to include in their package. These were a big hit! The children have covered an acre of paper with marker artwork.

Nathan sent a little red car from his personal collection. Now that's sharing!

And here is Charlie with the card from Xandra. It is our favorite card because it sings. Mary Poppins belts out A Spoonful of Sugar everytime someone peeks inside. Charlie likes to open it. Sometimes he listens to the whole song and sometimes he opens it many times in a row to listen to A Spoonful of Sugar in rap. We like it both ways.

I do not expect that it will be a quick process to get to the place where I easily join in the lives of those beyond my immediate family. But I will not tarry in the place where I am. I want more joy than I have to offer myself. Joy overflows in Doing Unto Others.

Thanks to all who joined in our lives this month with your prayers, phone calls, visits, and gifts. You have been excellent teachers.