THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

Once a week my friend Dani and I go to a nursing home to visit Lyna, who has been lying in bed for almost a year. She suffered a major stroke as a result of brain hemorrhage, was in a coma, but then came out of it, and by the grace of God, has been improving. She can now move her four limbs and neck; and, she can even smile!

Visiting her week after week has been educational to me. You see, her mother and room-mate who are always there every time we come have taught me a lot about love. Her mom, who is in her midst 70s, has to take two buses to get to the nursing home. At 9 am she leaves the apartment and at 7 pm she leaves the nursing home—rain or no rain, dark or not dark, cold or not cold, every day, seven days a week. And, her room-mate, who works morning till night as a server at a restaurant six days a week, spends her only and entire day off at the nursing home. No break for either.

What amazes me about them is not only the energy that they have; it’s also the joy that they exude. You see, they are always cheerful; they always have smile on their faces. They have never even once shown they are tired or bored. And, one more thing: They are always grateful to God for every improvement—regardless how tiny or subtle it is. To them improvement is improvement and is a cause to be thankful to God and to be hopeful for the future.

I learned so much about love from them even though they have never deliberately sat me down and taught me about it. In fact, they don’t say the word “love” often, but, I guess they don’t need to. Lyna knows it because it’s so obvious; after all she receives it—daily. Their action reminds me of the word of Jesus, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Pastor Paul