Guest Column

By Kendra Stetser Rowe

What a difference a year makes! It’s been my privilege to help Ministry with Community transition in a number of ways since taking the position as Executive Director on February 11th, 2008. Allow me to share with you what I’ve learned.

• People are resilient and strong and amazing beyond belief
• All things are possible when we focus our creative energies
• Extending dignity and respect doesn’t protect me from sometimes being hurt or disappointed
• The only true gift to give is something the other person values
• Giving with expectation is a recipe for disaster
• I can be both inspired and heartbroken within a single encounter
• Our community is filled with humble, generous, kind and brilliant people

I’m delighted to report that, while many of us are fearful about our economy, many of us are focusing on the simple things in life, showing gratitude for the smallest blessings and giving from the heart – whether it’s a smile, a dollar or a kind word.

What astonishes me most is the frequent answer I receive from folks who come to the “drop-in” -- people struggling with homelessness, poverty, mental illness, addiction, family crisis, loneliness and despair. The question I try to ask with my heart is a genuine “how are you?”

The answer I hear most is “I’m blessed.” I’m blessed. Let that sink in.

This is the most frequent thing I hear from people who are carrying all their worldly belongings in one duffle bag or suitcase or plastic grocery bag. These words ring out from a gentleman in soiled clothes and with what appears to be a tumor growing on his forehead. And I hear them again from a young mother with 5 children (2 in a stroller and 3 holding on) who just lost their home in a fire. They are echoed by the lady who looks like my grandmother and whom I’m worried will be attacked again this summer in the park.

So when I get annoyed by the car that cut me off on Rose Street yesterday. Or irritated that the dry cleaners didn’t press my suit correctly. Or snippy with the clerk who gave me hot chocolate with extra whipped cream instead of green tea. Or worried that I might have aged more than just one year this past year, I have a good laugh at myself and take a note from my friends here at Ministry – I am blessed, indeed.

And then I ask myself: who’s serving whom?

Be blessed, your choice --