Day Four in Review

Prayer: Yes
Scripture: Yes
Silence: Yes


The Day/The Deed:


Two things: The River Run 2011 experience for Ben and me was again — an exercise in patience and doing unto others. I am no speed demon when it comes to running, but by golly gee whiz Ben likes to take it easy in this 15K run. When he says I want to walk, he w-a-l-k-s. I found myself two and three steps ahead of him during the race and reminding myself to Slow. It. Down. For. Ben. This race was not my race. It was OUR race. A do-unto-others lesson in the making on how to being a super slow super hero is acceptable.


Second? Asharfulla, a boy who was here this summer through Solace for the Children, returned to Jacksonville on a United flight from Washington to begin his extended medical treatment here for a club foot. Marley and I went to the airport to meet him. What a sweet boy....a real, live super hero! We had wonderful times with Ashraf this summer, and it was awesome to see his sweet face again. I was so excited, I went in for the hug and then was reminded that his culture prefers a handshake. He is an example of courage this boy, coming all the way from Afghanistan to Jacksonville with no family for painful medical surgery — with no friends but a very friendly and capable translator.  He's here now for treatment of a club foot and shortened leg at Wolfson. Welcome him if you see him! He was on First Coast News tonight, I believe. I'll share a link if I see it...And, low and behold, here it is!:


http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/article/196074/3/Afghan-Boy-Returns-to-the-First-Coast-for-Treatment


OK, so there may be one more. In other news from Afghanistan...Feroza, the little Afghan beauty who always steals my heart with her hugs and smiles, was in the park today. (She's below on the left in a photo from last summer's Solace for the Children program. Ashraf, the boy mentioned above, is on the right)

I happened to be there — not because I necessarily wanted to be there, but because I had a message that do-gooding wasn't really possible if I was trying to nap. Seriously! And it's so true! Anyway, after prodding form Marley and a friend I ended up at the park reading the Jabez Prayer book mindlessly. Looking up, I realized that little Feroza was there capably, and with much animation, trying to communicate with some park mothers about her dog. Calculating quickly that I'd never seen sweet Feroza at the park alone, I sprang over to her and the group. Her family's dog Jingle, had gotten out. I had a nice walk home with Feroza and her American sister and Jingle back to their house. Being in Feroza's presence is always a gift, maybe this was a small, small give-back.


Words of encouragement/advice:


Please read this. It is long, and I have to be honest in saying I like Beth Moore's message but not always her volume. It is a GREAT story, an inspiring story, about what it's like to hear God's nudge and act on it. It's about what happens when God asks you to brush someone's hair.  A friend smarter than I sent it along. Totally cool:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtk5WgzZcYA


Lastly, I am remembering the conversation I had with my fourth- and fifth-grade Sunday School about Super Heroes. Also, I can't help but think how much I want to be a super Super Hero, spreading good deeds hither and yonder. No joke, there is such a thing. Think it's hard to do one good deed a day, like me? Then try this approach! Thank you  Friend-Who-Has-Her-!@@#$-Together-Most-of-the-Time, a.k.a. Friend-Who-Loves-People-Magazine-More-Than-I-Do:


http://news.reallifesuperheroes.org/2011/03/11/superheroes-among-us/





Final thoughts:
I would like to be a super hero, but I fall short. But I myself don't need super human powers to do a deed — just some hand-holding from above, and the encouragement to follow through.