Today was timeless. Only when the day is complete, am I able to soak it in. There is so much to enjoy as I play the day back in my mind. I have been asked to lead the eye glasses, something familiar to me from our mission last year. I try to remove any expectations or limitations on the day. I tell myself anything is possible and to avoid thinking inside the box. We work to setup our work area and soon the people come in. What we are doing is profound. We are helping people to be able to read and work better. Many of the people who we help work with small details, something very difficult if you can't see well and can't afford glasses. At home we never give this the slightest thought. I look up and it is 1:30. I look up again and it is time to pack up. We are so focused on our mission that everyone says how quickly the time has passed.
An 82 old woman who could not climb the stairs to our station on the 2nd floor presents a challenge...so we bring the eye chart to her. After trying all we had, we cannot improve her vision very much. We are told that she earns money by sewing; not being able to sew will have a huge impact on her life. We send her away, with only a slight improvement. As I return to our station upstairs, I am asked for a glasses case from another missionary. I see a case in a box of donated glasses of unknown strength. I open a case and a pair of bifocals is there. I notice that the lower portion is close to the strength that might help the woman and the upper is a very low strength. We rush downstairs to try to catch the woman. We find her as she is leaving and ask her to sit down for a moment. We ask her to try the glasses and immediately she smiles and says "perfecto, puedo ver la linea mas pequenia." In other words, a small miracle. A one in a million shot. Immediately we tell her God has done this. I have attached a picture of this small miracle.
Later during our evening mass, we are reminded that God is "out of the box." I smile and think how true that was today.
If we keep our heads down too much we could "miss it." As I walk from place to place in the clinic I smile as much as I can and look for the little things. A small boy eating an ice cream cone catches my eye (and my heart). I tell his mother how beautiful her child is.
A mother waits in line for glasses with her son and I take a minute to present the boy with a toy car.
As I reflect later on these moments I am struck by the beauty of the people we serve here. No wonder our team has been coming here for 15 years.
A one point during the day I am reminded by an angel of the opportunity to take a break and talk to Christ at the church next door (Nuestra Señora de Lourdes) I respond to the suggestion immediately go to the church and thank Christ in person for the opportunity of the mission.
We are God's helping hands and this powerfully satisfies us. What a fantastic, timeless day. Praise Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment