Laden with Thoughts

Blessings.

During service on Sunday morning I realized my stomach was upset, so I left the room and sat on a chair outside of the worship center. While I waited for the service to finish I applied myself to the important task of people-watching (one of my very favorite occupations). For the most part the only souls my gaze encountered were mothers trying to comfort their fussy babies and a few wayward children who seemed to have escaped the grasp of their over-burdened Sunday school teachers. The former chatted happily with each other, comparing weights and heights of their respective children. The latter amused themselves by running in and out of bathrooms and taking frequent trips up and down on the elevator.

Just before service was due to be over, a door across the hall opened and two women emerged from one of the classrooms. One of the women, Beth, was escorting the other to the kitchen (apparently in the hopes of obtaining donuts to bring back to the rest of the class). The other woman, who is mentally retarded and goes to the Agape Sunday school class that Beth teaches, suddenly turned to Beth and shouted:

“Guess what!”

Beth turned to her. “Yes?”

The woman threw her arms in the air and said, triumphantly, “Today is my BIRTHDAY!”

Beth yelled in return, “Hooray! What a GREAT day!”

As I sat watching the two women hugging and laughing, tears came to my eyes and I laughed with them. I had envied the mothers who held beautiful children in their arms, and I had envied the children running heedlessly around the building without a care in the world. But now I mostly envied the birthday girl and all the joy she found in something which I had long ago forgotten to find so worthy of joy.

10 Comments so far

  1. josh June 14th, 2004 10:59 pm

    See, THAT’S why we’re married.

    because you’re the best. girl. ever.

  2. Geof F. Morris June 15th, 2004 8:40 am

    Awwww. :sniff:

    I knew you were a people-watcher. I could tell that from January. ;)

  3. trey June 15th, 2004 11:51 am

    kat kat kat.. quel beau sentiment

  4. Geof F. Morris June 15th, 2004 4:43 pm

    Trey has inspired me; from now on, I will Babelfish my comments here into French before posting them. :lol:

  5. kat June 15th, 2004 5:12 pm

    Merci beaucoup, mes hommes.

  6. megan June 16th, 2004 10:09 am

    if birthdays are the greatest, then half-birthdays are almost the greatest (especially if you share one with derek webb’s wedding date.)

  7. kat June 16th, 2004 5:18 pm

    There is proof that MEGAN is the greatest! Haha!

  8. the Sage June 17th, 2004 9:54 am

    Your little story reminds me that, as important as good teaching/preaching is, we don’t go to “assemble ourselves together” just for the sermon.

  9. Chrissy June 23rd, 2004 1:31 pm

    That brought tears to my eyes and I wasn’t even there! Thanks, Kat!

  10. Peter June 24th, 2004 2:29 pm

    It’s all about taking joy in even the little things. Becky and I get excited when we find a penny on the stairs in our apartment building, let alone when we have a birthday. :-)

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