I suspect that each of us has had a cloud hanging over our head at one time or another. The cloud may have been caused by a present a young child really wanted but did not receive. As we reach senior high school, that cloud may be a big test we don’t feel we are ready for or a rejection notice from the college we applied to. Later on in life, the cloud may be because of a death of a family member or a close friend. As we reach the later point of our lives, we may be confronted with physical problems that represent the cloud.
These clouds are all real and seem very serious at the time. However, we don’t need to always concentrate on the clouds in our lives. Recently, God has brought several rays of sunshine into my life. If I hadn’t been careful, I would not have seen through the clouds and enjoyed the sunshine! Some of those rays produced a small chill up my back. I’d like to tell you about them.
I have been a volunteer for Meals on Wheels in different capacities. Meals are made by a local retirement community, picked up by drivers and delivered to people who are home bound. Therefore, I have been in the retirement community numerous times. During April, I observed a heartwarming scene as a frail, elderly lady in a wheelchair entered the dining room where the meals are made. The dining room is mainly used to serve those at the retirement community who are in the medical area but can come to the dining room via wheel chair or other assistance. Just as the lady entered the dining room, she stopped and motioned for two lady employees who had helped her in the dining room to come over to her. As they held hands, the lady told the employees how much she appreciated them and that she was going to a nursing home and would probably not see them again. One of the employees said she could call her any time she wanted. It was evident to me that love was flowing among the three ladies and that the employees realized they were not just there for a paycheck, but to show others that needed help their love for them. A RAY OF SUNSHINE!
Other experiences that certainly brightened my day involve young kids. They all arrived at the perfect time to shed several rays of sunshine my way. My five year old grandson arrived at church with his dad (his mom was home with his brother, who was recovering from an illness) and sat next to me. What a heartwarming experience it is to have a son and daughter-in-law raising their sons, teaching them about the Bible. A RAY OF SUNSHINE!
Little kids can bring sunshine into your life without even trying. I, along with several others, watch kids (roughly one to four years of age), once a week for a couple of hours while their mothers are attending a Bible study. One of the older boys came to me while I was sitting in the pew before church and just stood there until I noticed him. His parents were a couple of rows behind us. I assume he just wanted to say: “Hi, I know you. Are you going to notice me?” I certainly did notice him as we talked for a moment. However, I absolutely know he wanted to let me know who owned/controlled the piece of candy in his hand. I asked him if he had a piece of candy for me. He rushed, unwrapped the candy, popped it into his mouth and replied: “This isn’t candy. It’s a peppermint!” However, this wasn’t the best part about this young boy. As I was writing this article, I received a note from him in the mail. I did not make it to watch the kids last week because of a bothersome leg. Someone had assisted him in writing the note by lightly printing the note in pencil. The boy had very neatly traced over the letters in blue. The note said: “Dear Mr. Hall, Feel better soon. I missed you at church. Jesus heals you. Love.” WHAT A RAY OF SUNSHINE!
There is a girl in the same group whom I blame for my gaining weight. Each time she is in the group, she takes an order of what I would like to eat. She goes to the play stove/sink, pretends to wash her hands then prepares my order, whether it is eggs, brownies, a cake or chocolate chip cookies. She was even able to fill my order of tutti frutti ice cream. It will be interesting to see if I lose any weight after the Bible study ends. ANOTHER RAY OF SUNSHINE!
Finally, I was sitting in church when we stood to sing before the sermon, and I was under a mild cloud. Suddenly, I shifted my head a bit to hear the parents behind me singing, who sounded very nice. Then, I shifted my head to the other side because we came to the chorus of the song “All I Have is Christ” by Jordan Kauflin. The little girl, who is also in the group where I help out during Bible study, was singing her heart out. She was singing the chorus to the song: “Hallelujah! All I have is Christ. Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.” She wasn’t just slightly moving her lips to get the words out. No, she was singing with plenty of volume and was on the right key as she sang beautifully. I decided I was restricting God. I should not just be looking for a ray of sunshine. I should be looking further for His perfect rainbow.
And, you ask: “Why would a 70 year old (who many times feels seven), want to look after little kids?”
I rest my case!Jeff Hall, of Honey Brook, contributes columns to Berks-Mont Newspapers. Questions/comments may be directed to jeffreyhall77@comcast.net.
