Friday, March 26, 2021

Living a life worth remembering

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. – Psalm 19:14.

Be kind to one another and tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

After I finished my lunch today, I realized I needed to wrap up the kitchen trash and take it out. When I returned, I reached into the bottom of the wastebasket, retrieved a plastic bag that lay at the bottom of the receptacle, and put the new trash liner in place.

Every time I put a new plastic bag into one of my trash cans at home, I think of Bill Evans. Every. Single. Time.

Bill Evans was a longtime member at GPUMC, and years ago taught me that trick during one of the first times I worked in the church kitchen. I was new to this chore, and Bill was an old hand who introduced me to some of the expected practices in the kitchen. One of those practices was placing several plastic liners in the bottom of the trash can so one would be available the next time the trash was emptied. I thought that was brilliant — and it soon became the expectation in the RR household as well!

Bill was kind, funny, and ever-present, and I really appreciated that he took the time to orient me as needed.

A few years later, Bill took the same care when he showed my son, David, how to operate the dishwasher in the basement kitchen. Running the dishwasher eventually became David’s favorite church chore, in no small part because of the good memories associated with how he was taught to use the device. Bill trusted him to learn this task when David was at that awkward middle school age when nobody trusted him to do anything of significance.

I learned that plastic bag trick close to 25 years ago, and it sticks with me to this day. I really do think of Bill Evans every time I replace the trash bag liner. It’s not the practice itself that made such an impression — although it clearly did! — but the generosity of spirit that made him take the time to show a newcomer how to fit in. Such a very simple act of kindness. But he touched my heart and I remember him still with great fondness.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that all of my actions, no matter how small, have the power to help or hurt another person. Help me to live a life that will cause others to remember my acts of kindness and faithfulness.

Joan Richardson