One Last Chance to Serve

Well, another church family is leaving us....sigh...The Coles.  I told Debbie (momma) Cole recently that I didn't like thinking of their family moving because it gave me "anxiety".  Which is funny because we've recently had several dear families from our church move away, and while I truly miss them, and our little community doesn't feel the same without them; I didn't get this anxious feeling with their departure as I do with the Cole family leaving.  So I sat down and racked my brain about it one day trying to figure out what was going on.  While I consider Debbie a dear friend, it wasn't like we chatted it up everyday on the phone, or even shared details of our private lives.  And then it hit me...BAM...I have never met anyone in my life so willing to serve as Momma Cole, a trait that she is passing on to her children through her amazing example.  She genuinely cares for the well-being of those around her regardless of their status or life phase, and she is always willing to be there for them.  Looking back, it seems like whenever we were in need of something, for some odd reason, Debbie or one of her children were always there to help...babysitting, a friendly phone call, or even just showing up to celebrate a birthday.  The fascinating part to me is that it was done without hesitation.  There was never a "wait I have to check my schedule", or "the kids have band", or "today isn't a good day",...she just said YES.  I still can't believe it when I think about it...she just said yes, EVERYTIME!  Whatever was needed, it was yes. And not just a Yes, but a happy yes.  You would never know if Debbie was experiencing trials in her own life while serving others, because she always served with a positive attitude.  What an example of serving others she has been to our family.  I only hope in the future our family can be as willing to serve others as her family was to so many around them.    


As one last chance to serve their family, we took lunch over while they were getting ready to load up the moving truck.  A lunch that included a quart of ice cream from Ice Cream Paradise, since we all know that's the real travesty of leaving Lebanon. :)  Thanks again Cole family!    You've set the bar high for our family.