It's Easter weekend, and this morning we started our day at around 5:30 a.m. as we met our Community Group from our church for a service project downtown at the Ronald McDonald House. We decided several weeks ago that as a group, we would bring, cook, and serve breakfast Easter weekend to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald house. To be honest, I was excited about the project, but just not so excited about the time we had to get there in the morning. Anyone who knows me knows I am everything BUT a morning person.
As the smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes began to wake the families upstairs, we soon had our first family join us in the dining area. As we began talking with families, we learned each person's unique story of what had brought them to UVA children's hospital and how much they appreciated the Ronald McDonald House being there for them during their time of need.
As each family finished their breakfast, we gave them an Easter basket and invited them to our Easter service. Many were away from their churches this Easter and they graciously thanked our group and some said they'd like to come out. One particular gentleman was so touched and shared that he was there at the hospital with his 17 year old son, who had been a perfectly healty athlete, but suddenly collapsed only for doctors to find that he had a large aneurism on his brain. He was miles away from his home and spending an Easter weekend he had never dreamed he would be spending at a hospital. He was a believer and said that Easter was such a special time for his family and he was having a particularly difficult time this Easter in light of his circumstances.
After sharing his story with Nate, he walked away with tears in his eyes, burdened by the weight of his child's health. I began to think how different Easter this year must be for each of these families. At a time when most families are participating in various Easter activities, watching their children running around the house looking for Easter eggs , dyeing eggs, or telling their children "don't eat another piece of that candy" before your meal; instead, these families are not experiencing the joy of a child's laughter this year. They are many miles from home, sitting by their child's bedside as they fight very serious illnesses, recover from surgeries, or wait to hear "what's next" in their child's medical plan or rehabilitation. We read story after story and viewed hundreds of children's photos on the "thank you" wall, each a reminder of difficult illnesses, rare diseases, or serious surgeries these children and families have faced over the years.
Watching these families today reminded me how often we take our health and each day for granted. It was a reminder that life is fragile, we are not promised tomorrow, and what we do each day can count for eternity. We can choose to make a difference, even if for just one person that may cross our path in the day that we are given. I know our desire was to serve and hopefully touch lives today; yet, as is always the case when we serve someone- WE instead, are always impacted in a much greater way.
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