Perspective

Saturday was a rough night. I am sure you gathered that. But I was throwing myself quite the pity party yesterday. I was angry, hurt, and just fuming as I went grocery shopping and baked for the party tomorrow at work. Then I went to church.

Going to church always soothes me. I, without fail, get a message that tells me something. Whether it is to buck up or everything will be ok, in some way, shape or form, I get a poke in the forehead.

It was rainy (and cold) so it took me forever to find parking. I ran into church just as the priest was processing down the aisle. No seats. Standing cold and wet in the back of the church with the other latecomers I debated sneaking out. I just wanted to go home. Then this woman came in. She was carrying a little boy who had to be maybe a year old, and she was pregnant, probably seven or eight months along.

I saw her look for a seat, cross the back of the church one end to the other, twice. Not seeing anything she turned and came back toward the door and I saw her face. She was in tears. The sort of face that said if I was not in public I'd be wailing right now but I better make it out of here before I cannot control it. As she went out the door I stepped to follow her but an older gentleman beat me to it. He looked and nodded at me as if to say, I got it, and followed her outside. They all came in a few minutes later. The man's wife found her a folding chair and they sat her down in it and then this man proceeded to hold her child the entire mass. The look of gratitude she had was amazing. Strangers reaching out and helping strangers. A few women approached her toward the end of mass. They gave her a business card and wrote down her information and tickled that little boy so he'd smile while his mother wrote. She left the church smiling.

Then, at the end of mass, they did the announcements. A eucharistic minister who is very involved in the church... her son altar serves and she is always there, well her daughter Natalie got into a car accident driving home that day and was in ICU on a respirator. They asked the entire church to pray for her and her family and that it be God's will to heal her.

Perspective.

That pregnant woman, Natalie... my problems are nothing compared to them.

I will get past this. We will get past this.

We're reaching out, getting a third party perspective. We've talked. We understand some things better now. He understands some things better.

This will be merely a blip in our bliss.

Pray for that woman, whatever her story is, and for Natalie.

Perspective.