GROWING SEEDS: "The Samples"

"Attitude of Gratitude"

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'Thank You,' that would suffice."

Meister Eckhart

As I've mentioned before to you, I start each day in my favorite chair with a piping hot cup of coffee, a view of the foggy lake and my Bible in my lap.  It's my "Morning Gratitude" time with God......quiet time before the chaos of the day has a chance to take over my mind.  It's a chance to THANK God for the good, bad and ugly things occupying my life.  

And you know what I was grateful for this morning?  Susan and Tom Sample.  

They are a "quiet" force within our church.....they do the things that need to be done, in a stealth-like mode, silently and without fanfare behind the scenes.  You won't find them talking about these things.....they are simply too busy doing these things.  Matter-of-fact, when they learned I would be telling you about them, they asked that I not mention their names.  So, although their names are Susan and Tom, for the sake of this article, we will call them Mary and Paul.  Ok?

Susan....umm, I mean "Mary", has been the silent leader of the Lunches of Love for 7 weeks each summer.  She and her volunteers have grown this program from its initial 6 kids that first day five years ago to an average of 90 hungry kids a day this past summer.  She found bus drivers, cooks, teachers, businesses and other churches to serve the less fortunate children in our community.  Some of these kids, whose only meal each day came from Lunches of Love, had never even seen a pillow....much less ever heard about God.   I have a feeling that when God chose "Mary" to use her teaching credentials to organize our church and community into this amazing project, He knew she would listen....she would hear Him.....she would be grateful to obey.

And "Mary" wouldn't be complete without Tom...oops....I mean "Paul".  After 40 years of marriage and 4 daughters, I think "Paul" knew how to listen....or at least say, "Yes dear".  Not only is "Paul" an intricate part of the Lunches of Love, he also, VOLUNTARILY (code word for "FREE"), handles all the computer equipment for the church and Rainbow Daycare.  He makes sure all software is up-to-date, all computers are in working order and repairs them when they're not.  And as a user of the sturdy, dependable Mac, I can honestly tell you that working on those dicey, erratic and temperamental PC's can be a major daily challenge! (Sorry "Paul", I just had to say that!).

These two, Susan and Tom, ARE "the church" to our community and to us.  They work silently....give happily....and give all the Glory to God.  

They are the Attitude of Gratitude.