salt and light.

so today is a little apprehensive for me... my mom has been having some pain in her chest for the last month or so and is having a heart catheterization today. this is probably her 4th or 5th procedure over the last 8 or 9 years and although there is risk with each one (and i'm always a little nervous that something is going to happen to my momma since she's the only immediate family i have left), it is a fairly routine procedure and i trust her cardiologist implicitly.

this post is about a little lady i came across while mom was checking in. as we waited in the lobby, i noticed a woman in her 80s being moved from one wheelchair to another. the orderly rolled her out of the way, locked her wheels in place, wished her well and went on his way.

she would have been easy to miss. she didn't make a peep. she didn't make eye contact. but after a couple of minutes, i noticed her hands quivering ever so slightly. when i asked her if she was okay, she was visibly shaken when she responded. i went over and sat next to her and held her hand and patted her shoulder while she nervously shared the details of the medical procedure she was about to endure. i asked if she had any family that was able to come see her and she informed me that her son was parking the car after driving her from Morristown. after just a couple of minutes, her trembling had stopped and she was speaking clearly.

about that time, her name was called to obtain her information. i wheeled her up to the counter and she thanked me. i hugged her neck and returned to my seat to find tears of pride streaming down my mom's face. she's always telling me how proud she is of me, but i'm convinced that any compassion i feel for people is directly related to what i witnessed with her as my example.

there were countless times i saw her give until it hurt: times when she wrote a check to a co-worker with little education, small pay and a house full of kids - in faith that God would provide our needs. or one time when we bought groceries for a family as they watched their home burn to the ground. or rounded up pots and pans and towels and washcloths for a woman who had finally worked up the courage to take her kids and leave her abusive husband. or helped an elderly person unload their groceries in the parking lot at wal-mart. i'm SO unbelievably grateful to have been raised by a woman with such a huge heart.

this post is in no way to boast in myself or even to brag about my momma... it's merely a reminder to always be on the lookout for the people God places in our path to love on and encourage. it would have been easy to over look ms. brooks... but what a blessing i would have missed if i hadn't noticed her!

each day, if we are on the lookout, it's easy to spot people who need a kind word, a smile, or a hug.

be intentional today. look for opportunities to be salt and light. and teach your kids to do the same...