Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Blessed are the Bellringers
I saw a simple glimpse of something beautiful this afternoon, which warmed my heart, making me remember the words of the bible, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
I'd had an awful day. I'd pulled a muscle in my lower back yesterday, which kept me awake all night last night, and had to be in to work to receive a truck full of over a hundred heavy boxes at six o' clock this morning. I was in a lot of pain and had taken a prescription ibuprofen pill, which, evidently is not the same as Excedrin from Walmart, and was not only still hurting, but was high as a kite as well. I spent much of the morning tripping over boxes, yawning, groaning, and threatening to fall asleep in the pillow section at the back of the store. Needless to say, I was miserable, and I still had hours to go when I took my lunch.
Driving slowly around the mall to reach the access road that would take me out onto the street leading homeward, I heard a hand bell ringing. It dawned on me that it was not just any bell. The sound was coming from a Salvation Army "outpost" outside of one of the major department stores. A little excited, I started glancing around looking for Santa. He was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a very tall, slightly stocky young man ringing the bell, standing by the tripod which held the cash bucket on chains. As I waited for people to cross the walkway, I noticed that this young man had Downs Syndrome. My heart was instantly blessed, as I watched him greet the passersby and smile, wagging that handbell for all it was worth.
How wonderful, I thought, that instead of hiring someone that probably doesn't need the money anyway (and who looks awful in the cheap Santa suit and stick-on beard), they have placed someone in the position, that not only can do a wonderful work, but can also overcome a handicap and gain self-confidence and pride.
Here I was, all day long moaning and groaning, hating my job at the moment, all the while inside air conditioning, while outside, in the pre-storm heat and humidity of a Texas city, this young man stood for hours, making music with his bell and smiling at the people coming in to the mall. I envied him, then. I envied his optimism and joy. In one moment, one glance, I saw in this "special" young man not only the beauty of God's love, but a lesson for me to learn. I saw that handicaps can be overcome by meeting each moment of each day with enthusiasm and sharing that enthusiasm with others.
We all have handicaps. For some, it IS Downs Syndrome, for others of us, it is shyness, depression, anger, or whatever keeps us from doing our job well. Therefore, by this standard, this boy doesn't have a handicap at all.
What a powerful statement God has made for me this day.
