Heart Tugs

Recently a middle schooler in Olathe, Kansas approached Principal Dr. Sarah Guerrero about an idea he and two of his friends had to make Valentine’s Day special for the 270 girls and 70 women on the staff at their school.  After receiving permission, eighth-grader Tristan Valentine, seventh-grader Kyan Rice, and sixth-grader Lincoln Homes used their own money to buy a flower for every female at Summit Trail Middle School.  On February 14th, the young men arrived at school early, stood at different entrances at the school, and handed a carnation and wished a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to every woman and young lady as they entered the building. 

When later interviewed by KMBC Tristan Valentine expressed that they “wanted every girl to feel important and special on Valentine’s Day.”  Principal Guerrero said it was “refreshing to see three young men go out of their way to make others feel happy.”  She “got chills seeing it happen” and the positive impact it was having on the school.  One girl told the principal, “I didn’t used to like to go to school on Valentine’s Day, but I loved it today.” 

Ruby Kate Chitsey is an 11-year-old fifth-grader from Harrison, Arkansas.  Her mother is a nurse practitioner in five nursing homes around the area.  When she can, Ruby Kate enjoys going with her mother so she can visit the residents.  One afternoon she noticed that one lady was sad because a friend had brought a dog to visit and she didn’t know when they would be able to come visit again.  That gave Ruby Kate an idea.  She found an old spiral and started a project called “Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents.”

Most of the elderly people in nursing homes rely on Medicaid.  After covering room and board and their medical needs the patients have about $40 to spend on anything else.  Ruby Kate began to interview the residents and record their three wishes.  It was interesting that none requested big or expensive items.  Instead, people asked for pants that fit, fresh fruit, good books, haircuts, gifts for their grandchildren, and occasionally food from an outside source.  For the dementia patients Ruby listed life like baby dolls for the residents to hold.  Ruby Kate and her mother also noticed people could benefit from better quality pillows, lumbar pillows for people in wheelchairs, heavier blankets, and extra snacks.

Ruby Kate’s mother also enlisted 74-year-old Marilyn Spurlock to help out with the wish program at the facility where she lives.  Marilyn was at the point where she felt worthless, depressed, and like she couldn’t help anyone.  Now she goes into the hub area, interviews her fellow residents, and is excited to see their needs fulfilled.  Amanda Chitsey is hoping to expand this program to other nursing homes as well.  She has helped set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the wishes.  Amanda states, “I think Ruby’s starting a movement – recognizing a need and just doing something about it.  This is about their quality of life – bringing them joy.”

May we, too, choose to make a difference this week by taking the opportunity to be givers when heart tugs occur.

“By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13

Created for Good Works

Garrin Davis recently discovered that due to a stroke his 32-year old neighbor was in need of a wheelchair ramp.  Within days, Davis used resources from his construction company and built a ramp for her front porch.

On Friday, Kim Conway baked sugar cookies and took them to the assisted living home close to where she lives.  Friends Karen Payne and Christine Palermo joined her for the adventure.  The baking club ladies, who reside at the assisted living home, had a great time frosting and decorating the cookies which they shared with the other residents that afternoon.

An eighth grade teacher in the greater Boston area volunteers to wash uniforms for the economically disadvantaged students in her classes whose parents cannot afford to do so at times.  Not wanting her students to skip school or be embarrassed to attend class in smelly or dirty uniforms, she offers to do their laundry when needed.  She takes the clothing home, washes, and then returns them to the students the next day.

Lenny, 84 years old, runs a store in Falls River, Massachusetts.  As the temperature turns colder, he ties scarves around the poles in front of his place of business for people to take if they are in need of a scarf to keep warm.  Lenny’s son, Mike, started this service a few years before he died of cancer.  His father is continuing the tradition, along with other people who are supplying additional scarves.  The gift of scarves is already making a difference in their community.  Lenny says, “If I do good in life, I want to do good for someone else.  I think one, it helps them to keep warm, two he knows there is people out there that’s willing to sacrifice something to give to them.”  Lenny is adding warmth to his town in more ways than one.

Last week in Lomira, Wisconsin, the temperature, including the wind chill factor, reached a -60 degrees.  The Lomira High School coach, wrestling team, and Booster Club President Jamie Feucht spent their snow day holiday helping neighbors dig out of their homes by shoveling the snow from their driveways and sidewalks.

Rosie Griest, 89, was driven to a doctor’s appointment in Orlando, Florida, by her 100-year-old husband, David.  On their way home, they stopped at a gas station to go to use the restroom.  As they were returning to the car, a police officer noticed they were tired and very slow in getting back to their car.  Before Officer Kanesha Carnegie could step in to help, three young men, who had been inside purchasing snacks, rushed out of the doors to assist them.  Officer Carnegie began videoing the men patiently helping Rose walk to the car, get in their SUV, and buckling her in.  The three men were Orlando-based rappers Joe Koe Stoe, Marty, and Freddy G.  When interviewed, Marty told the Fox 5 reporter, “I kept thinking, ‘She could have been my grandmother.’”

Sometimes it’s difficult for men with dementia to go to a barbershop, so Lenny runs a popup shop in dementia care homes in Belfast, Ireland.  Realizing that emotional memory tends to last the longest, Lenny offers the popup shops so the men can have an experience that they can associate with their younger years.  The makeshift barber shop room is first sprayed with lemon cologne.  Then Lenny plugs in the jukebox and plays songs from their era for the men to listen to while he gives shaves and haircuts. 

Knowing that we were created for good works, may we be willing to go and do likewise.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Declarations

“Let the light that shines in you be brighter than the light that shines on you.” – Coach Dabo Swinney

Although I have not taken the opportunity to be a Clemson Tiger fan, you can sign me up as a respecter of their football coach and quarterback.  Trevor Lawrence, a true freshman quarterback, led the Clemson Tigers to an undefeated football season.  Before the championship games were played, Trevor was interviewed on numerous occasions.  He spoke boldly of what is important to him.   “Growing up, my family’s always like – football’s important to me.  It’s not my life; it’s not like the biggest thing in my life I would say.  My faith is.  At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what people think about me, or how good they think I’ll play, doesn’t really matter.  I just know, no matter how big the situation is, it’s not really gonna define me.  I put my identity in what Christ says, who He thinks I am and who He says I am.”  Clemson continued its winning streak by defeating Notre Dame 30-3 in the Cotton Bowl and then winning the College Football Playoff game 44-16 against Alabama.

Coach Dabo Swinney has also taken advantage of interviews to declare his faith and outlook on life.

“All the credit, all the glory goes to the good Lord, number one.  Only God can do this and I give him all the glory.  I know where my strength comes from and I know it’s simply by his grace that I’ve been able to walk this walk this journey.”

“I try to be a good example to others, and I work hard to live my life according to my faith.”

“(The Bible) says, love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul.  The second (rule) is, love your neighbor as you’d love yourself.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor (if they’re) from the same religion.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they are the same color as you.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they pull for the same team as you.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they’re the same gender as you.  (It doesn’t say) love your neighbors if they have the same sexuality as you.  It just says, love your neighbor as you’d love yourself.  If we all lived by that in this country, we wouldn’t have near the problems we have.”

“For me, personally, joy comes from focusing on Jesus other than yourself.”

“We’re all going to experience death and failure and setbacks and disappointments and cancer, and it’s just a really difficult world.  For me, God is always, and my relationship with Christ, he’s given me hope and peace.”

“To be an overachiever you have to be an over believer.”

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

“Bad things happen in life…but it’s how you respond that counts.”

“Do common things in an uncommon way.”

“Attitude, work ethic, love, respect for others – that doesn’t know any color.”

“If there’s really hope in the future, then there’s power in the present to deal with whatever mess you’re dealing with in your life, to step through, to hang in there, to persevere, to continue to believe in something, and that’s what my relationship with Christ did for me.  It gave me a hope and a belief, the ability to have a hope and a belief beyond my circumstances.”

“We serve a big God – big, powerful – and He’s real, and I know that.  To experience what I’ve experienced is surreal, but it’s comforting because I know that He is.  I know He loves us.  We’re imperfect people, but I know God has a plan, and I just try to live my life in a way that can hopefully be an encouragement to others.”

And without hesitation, may we, too, be prepared and ready to declare our faith and trust in Jesus when asked.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

I Timothy 4:12

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

I Peter 3:15a

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32