Christmas hero for today

   My Christmas heroes today are a couple that I met during my travels. I had the opportunity to sit and eat dinner with them while we were visiting their mom who lived in a retirement community. While we were sitting together they shared with me about their life, and of course, I asked a lot of probing questions....because that's how I roll.
   I believe that we should be with people that are different than us. That's how we learn and grow, and at times....get our world rocked. This couple rocked my world in a way that no one ever has. I do believe that as I listened to them, my mouth was open.....all the way.
   They were in their young 70's at the time and she still worked, so naturally I asked her about retirement. "Oh we aren't retired and we never will be." I have heard that many times before because hard times happen and folks who want to stop working can't. And she responded, "Oh no, it's not like that at all. We have chosen to still work." And I laughed because I've also heard of those folks who got bored in retirement and flunk out and go back to work. To this she said, "Wendy, it's very clear in scripture that we are to not store up treasure in this world. We are to not have store houses full of things. It is also very clear that God will take care of us. Don't confuse us with the world. We work because we have chosen to believe him....."
   WHAAAAT?!?!?!?!? It was so Shane Claiborne. I had to find out more.
   Turns out that they have never owned a house, but rented small spaces that would fit their family perfectly. Turns out that they never saved for retirement and never had a balance on their credit card. If they didn't have it, if they couldn't afford it.....they didn't need it. Turns out that every cent over what they needed, they gave away. Yes. Everything extra was not for them but for folks who God laid on their heart.
   All these things seemed okay for a young couple....but here they were...in their 70's living out the results of those decisions. 70 years old and nothing in the bank. No investments. No house that is paid off...."Are you scared? Do you worry that now you have nothing? What about when you can't work anymore?" and she simply said, "Wendy it's very clear in scripture that God will take care of us....we don't have to worry."
   I stared at them....at the time I was a missionary and I had not made the same decisions they had made.All these questions were swimming in my head.
   That very next week I had several conversations with my husband. Several prayer times where I literally raised my hands with wonderings of life and decisions and trust.....I wrestled so hard, I raised my voice to my husband one day, "What do we do with this radical thing?!?!?!" and he said, "Wendy do you really think that the little we've saved will be enough?" and then it hit me. It's not enough.
   Perhaps God's greatest gift to all of us are the last years of our life.....when no matter who we are or what we've saved, we all will need to be taken care of. Either in a nursing home or by family, eventually we won't be able to do it by ourselves. It's the time of life when everyone is the same. Everyone decays and has that special old people smell....even the rich. No money in the world can make you be able to change your own diaper when you lose all ability. Whether you pay for it, or the government, you will be a burden to someone.....The only difference between you and the person living in the next room in the nursing home will be what you did with the life you had.
   A really good friend of mine named Kevin once said, "No one on their death bed wishes they gave less. They don't say, 'Oh darn I sacrificed too much'. But they do say, 'I could've done so much more!' even the people who gave their life." And this is so true isn't it?
   The fact is....that couple I sat across from who has to this day, nothing.....will end up like all of us.... needing to be taken care of. Either by their children, or by a nursing home. They will not be able to do it themselves....but they will have treasure in heaven.
   The year after I met with this radical couple, my husband and I were leaving campus ministry. We sold our house to go answer the call for my husband to preach at a land that God would show us. We didn't make much money from the house we sold and we had no job. All we had was a little bit in the bank,  some stuff in a pod stored in Denver, and a station wagon. In the mail, before we left we got a check....for 1000 dollars....from the couple....with no house, no investments....no money in the bank.
   "YOU....DO NOT STORE UP MONEY....BUT INSTEAD STORE UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN....AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU....LET'S DO THIS...."
    Here's the deal folks...This couple spent their life giving to people. Giving to missionaries. Looking people in the eye and loving them....when they go to heaven they are going to be greeted with so many faces....so much joy of people who are there because of them.
    When you go to heaven.....who is going to know you?
    "Keep your hand on that plow.....HOLD on!"
  


  
  
  
  
  

Today's Christmas Hero

   Today's Christmas Hero is Patricia, who lived at the same adult care home with my dad the last years of his life. Pat had the most interesting speech. It was forced and quick and also generous. Every time we came to visit my dad Pat treated me like I was her family too. Since I wanted all my limited time with my dad, I never gave her my heart.
   When dad died I went back to the adult home and told his house mates that he had passed and I sat by Pat on the couch for the first time. Her short brief candor had deep heartfelt emotion this time. I sat by her and listened. "I'm sorry about Richard......I loved him you know..... I was hoping that one day he would marry me......"
   (Ah yes, of course you did.......My father, who suffered from schizophrenia, and thought he was Moses, Adam, and Jesus, was quite the ladies man. At the previous home, he met with a woman for Bible study and my dad said she was hoping to be his girlfriend. Alas, there was another woman who stole his heart, and she said nice prayers, so dad chose her for a nursing home romance.)
   I kindly left Pat that day and she wanted my address. She said she would write me, so I gave her my contact information. No harm in that. It would never happen.
   Except it did.
   Pat writes me. Consistantly. I always look at the letter when it comes. A foreign peice of paper that comes in the mail, written by hand. I sigh and think, "Here's a letter that reminds me that my dad died. A lady that has no family and an empty place in her heart by a man that she was hoping to love her back who died." I read it always.....and throw it away.
   It has been two years and seven months since my dad died and again I got a letter this week. It was this week that God finally opened my eyes...."YOU...WRITE HER BACK....GIVE HER YOUR HEART....SHE IS THE LEAST OF THESE...LET'S DO THIS!!!!!" and I didn't like that call. Because I don't know what to say to her. I got my pen and paper and stared at it. My husband said, "Just tell her what you did this week. It's not that hard. You usually have no trouble telling people about your life." Which is so true. But words are the way I give you my heart. And to write her meant I cared about her. So I tried. I told her that I had a peppermint mocha at McDonalds yesterday....and I liked it.
   Patricia gives her heart to me when I give her nothing in return. It's like a letter from Jesus every month that says, "What about your heart? You talk a lot.....but do you really love people? Last night I tried....and Pat will get a letter for Christmas this year. An attempt to give her my heart. Sometimes we don't choose the people in our life, but we can choose to love them, or not.
   Sometimes the hero's in this life are the people who do amazing things. And sometimes the hero's in this life, like Patricia, are the people who love even when there isn't much in return. "Keep your hand on that plow....HOLD on...."