Tuesday, April 5, 2022

​Bearing one another’s burdens 
 
Galatians 6:10
“So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.”
 
The members and programs of Grace Lutheran Church have helped so many. Some of them bear my burdens, lightening my load. On Sundays, my mom, who lives in one of the Juniper homes, gets a phone call from a church member. It all started a couple of years ago, when Mom could chat and enjoy talking about the sermon-on-the-radio. Now, she has trouble getting her nouns correct, and she barely remembers the sermon when it is over, but the social contact through that one phone call brightens her day. Her care-givers comment on how she tells them that SHE got a phone call; Mom shares this happiness, brightening their day for a few moments. And so it passes on …
 
The Grace Lutheran Church Card Ministry is another important program that brightens my day. Taking a card to my mom is a thrill in itself; she says, “For ME?” in that happy voice that no one can mistake. I open the card, read it to her, then she handles it with joy. She’ll open it again, because she forgets she can’t read (she is severely blind now), then holds the picture or drawing right up to her nose, where she can often discern the shape or imagine the color. She keeps the card for several days before giving it back to me. Her housekeepers love those cards, and they tell me about how the cards cheer THEM up (I think that Mom’s pleasure makes them happy, too!). And so, it passes on …
 
Just being in my life, the church helps to bear my burden and lighten my load. Thank goodness that the people of GLC say, “Hi!” to me in line at Giant. They don’t know me, except that they’ve seen me at church or in the choir; but they took the time to figure that out. In that moment, I feel so blessed, and blessed that I get to sing (thank you, Laurel) at church. Others ask about my husband and offer their support and prayers. They have “taken the chance to do good” by just being themselves, being thoughtful and supportive. This helps me to smile and take a deep breath and realize that I AM NOT ALONE. And so it passes on …
 
Barbara Vogler