Amazing Anonymous People
Once upon a time, I worked with adults who have special needs. Some days were good, others... you just wanted to make it through the day. But over those several months, God put some amazing people in my life. So I've decided to tell you a little bit about these anonymous people... these beautiful, wonderful, inspiring people!
The first anonymous person... one of my favorites! For the first several weeks, this anonymous person thought I was a teacher. I would walk in, and first thing out of his mouth was, "No! No teach! No, No, No!" He refused to have anything to do with me only because he thought I was there to teach. So right off, he became my "project". Every afternoon, I'd come in and say, "Hey, and how are you?" And for weeks, it hadn't changed, it was always, "No! No teach! No, No, No!" It actually became more amusing! Until one afternoon, I walked in with my keychain hanging out of my pocket. I caught him eyeing it. And then God gave me a really good idea! "Mr. anonymous, do you like my key chain?" He looked up at me. After a minute of staring at me wide eyed, he said, "Yes! Yes!" I was curious what he'd do next, being as excited as he was. After a few short seconds, he thought I wasn't looking, so he reached out to touch my lovely keychain. It was too funny, looking at him, thinking he'd gotten away with something.... but I decided I might as well let him play with it. So I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him. I had caught him off guard. He was so thrilled, that he stopped seeing me as a "teacher". Now I was the cool Keychain girl! And as for those stressful, want to go home and crawl in bed days I'd have every now and again.... there was Mr. anonymous to remind me why I loved my job... and why "When I Grow Up.... that's exactly what I'll be doing... working with the anonymous....
The second anonymous... like they say "Second is best"... and as you can see... I don't just have 1 FAVORITE :) This one had me smiling and crying tears of joy almost every afternoon after work. It wasn't unusual coming home and seeing my face all splotchy red... this one had me so full of joy and thinking quite often, "God is AMAZING" ! He was the one that would make me forget about wanting to go home at the end of the day. One afternoon, I walked into work and there he sat with a BIG smile. He was ALWAYS the very first to say hello to me.
He usually asked, "Sara, how is your summer vacation going?
How is school?
What are you going to do this weekend?
Did you know I like your name?
Where do you go to church?"
And to the first question, I'd have to remind him it wasn't summer yet, but I couldn't wait. And as for the second question, it was usually, "I love school, because I get to come here and be with you guys!" And the third question... well that varied. The next answer was normally, "Oh, you love my name! Thanks! You are so sweet!".... which made him smile even more. But MOST important, the last question... well, we didn't really get to talking about it until one particular afternoon. And let me tell you, if this doesn't make you smile... well, it had me blubbery all the way home!
One afternoon, I walked over to where he was sitting... and his face was really serious... like he really needed to talk. I asked him what was wrong... and he said, "Sara, where do you go to church?" I smiled (at work you aren't suppose to talk about God, but a. I was interning b. they obviously couldn't fire me and c. I wouldn't have cared anyways... job or no job... talking about God is most important... and yet people tend to forget it's a. a free country and b. God is part of our Pledge of Allegiance... what our country was founded on). I told him where I went to church, Church of The Apostles. His face lit up. Then he asked very matter of fact, if I believed in God. I told him I did. But most important, he asked, "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" (See, not many people understand... Satan even believes in God... he knows God... but that's not what saves you. It's accepting His one and Only Son, Jesus Christ into your heart). After replying, YES....he told me he loved to go to church. He told me he cannot wait til Jesus comes to take us home. He said he and his girlfriend would go to church every Sunday. It was his favorite place.... and then, what broke my heart, "Sara, I can't wait! I will see you one day in heaven. We will be there together. And so will my girlfriend! Aren't you so excited?"
My intern... WOW.... (and to think that's only 2 of the AMAZING anonymous people I've met and told you about!) My passion... I couldn't ask for anything better than this... again: working with the anonymous... and Living For HIM!
So here's 2 verses for you today!
"If you do what the LORD wants, He will make certain each step you take is sure. The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall." Psalm 37:23-24
"With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20
The first anonymous person... one of my favorites! For the first several weeks, this anonymous person thought I was a teacher. I would walk in, and first thing out of his mouth was, "No! No teach! No, No, No!" He refused to have anything to do with me only because he thought I was there to teach. So right off, he became my "project". Every afternoon, I'd come in and say, "Hey, and how are you?" And for weeks, it hadn't changed, it was always, "No! No teach! No, No, No!" It actually became more amusing! Until one afternoon, I walked in with my keychain hanging out of my pocket. I caught him eyeing it. And then God gave me a really good idea! "Mr. anonymous, do you like my key chain?" He looked up at me. After a minute of staring at me wide eyed, he said, "Yes! Yes!" I was curious what he'd do next, being as excited as he was. After a few short seconds, he thought I wasn't looking, so he reached out to touch my lovely keychain. It was too funny, looking at him, thinking he'd gotten away with something.... but I decided I might as well let him play with it. So I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him. I had caught him off guard. He was so thrilled, that he stopped seeing me as a "teacher". Now I was the cool Keychain girl! And as for those stressful, want to go home and crawl in bed days I'd have every now and again.... there was Mr. anonymous to remind me why I loved my job... and why "When I Grow Up.... that's exactly what I'll be doing... working with the anonymous....
The second anonymous... like they say "Second is best"... and as you can see... I don't just have 1 FAVORITE :) This one had me smiling and crying tears of joy almost every afternoon after work. It wasn't unusual coming home and seeing my face all splotchy red... this one had me so full of joy and thinking quite often, "God is AMAZING" ! He was the one that would make me forget about wanting to go home at the end of the day. One afternoon, I walked into work and there he sat with a BIG smile. He was ALWAYS the very first to say hello to me.
He usually asked, "Sara, how is your summer vacation going?
How is school?
What are you going to do this weekend?
Did you know I like your name?
Where do you go to church?"
And to the first question, I'd have to remind him it wasn't summer yet, but I couldn't wait. And as for the second question, it was usually, "I love school, because I get to come here and be with you guys!" And the third question... well that varied. The next answer was normally, "Oh, you love my name! Thanks! You are so sweet!".... which made him smile even more. But MOST important, the last question... well, we didn't really get to talking about it until one particular afternoon. And let me tell you, if this doesn't make you smile... well, it had me blubbery all the way home!
One afternoon, I walked over to where he was sitting... and his face was really serious... like he really needed to talk. I asked him what was wrong... and he said, "Sara, where do you go to church?" I smiled (at work you aren't suppose to talk about God, but a. I was interning b. they obviously couldn't fire me and c. I wouldn't have cared anyways... job or no job... talking about God is most important... and yet people tend to forget it's a. a free country and b. God is part of our Pledge of Allegiance... what our country was founded on). I told him where I went to church, Church of The Apostles. His face lit up. Then he asked very matter of fact, if I believed in God. I told him I did. But most important, he asked, "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" (See, not many people understand... Satan even believes in God... he knows God... but that's not what saves you. It's accepting His one and Only Son, Jesus Christ into your heart). After replying, YES....he told me he loved to go to church. He told me he cannot wait til Jesus comes to take us home. He said he and his girlfriend would go to church every Sunday. It was his favorite place.... and then, what broke my heart, "Sara, I can't wait! I will see you one day in heaven. We will be there together. And so will my girlfriend! Aren't you so excited?"
My intern... WOW.... (and to think that's only 2 of the AMAZING anonymous people I've met and told you about!) My passion... I couldn't ask for anything better than this... again: working with the anonymous... and Living For HIM!
So here's 2 verses for you today!
"If you do what the LORD wants, He will make certain each step you take is sure. The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall." Psalm 37:23-24
"With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20
Sorry this is a long post... having been a school newspaper staff writer... i was never good at cutting parts of my story... so consider this: one, long chapter :) Thanks... -PeanutLoveButter
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome. Love the story. Keep writing!
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