A Sacred Gift

Sacred is the only word I can come up with to describe a special gift I was given. Actually, Ken came up with it.   Each week, Ken and I volunteer at the community center.  We gather in a room and do simple tasks, such as sew little towels for widows in the community, make envelopes for their mass mailings, etc.  It is a delightful group of people. I've been preparing a post about it that I'll post when I get done.   Last week, we went as usual, but I was having a hard day.  I was exhausted.  I had had three nights of little sleep with big, full days in between.  I should have probably stayed home and slept, but I went.  I admit, it's hard to, day after day be in groups of people where you understand very little of what is said.  Before I leave each day, I look myself in the eye in the mirror and say, "You can do this."  As I sat there that morning, I could feel myself starting to cry.  A dear lady across from me, tries really hard to communicate in English, but it takes so much concentration, and we just weren't succeeding.  I could feel the emotion rising, so I thought, "I'd better get out of here before I embarrass myself."  So, I excused myself and went downstairs where I knew there was a little couch.  I went down there and had a good cry and felt right sorry for myself (I'm ashamed to say.)  I was gone quite awhile, but honestly didn't think anyone would even miss me.  Boy, was I wrong.  One of the ladies came to look for me, but I didn't see her.  She didn't say anything, but later, when Ken realized I was gone and went to look for me, she quietly told him where I was.  When I came back, the dear lady across from me had written out a poster with some words in English and Japanese to help me:

We had a special luncheon that day to celebrate the sakura.  I really was fine.  I went home and had a good nap and I was fine.
Then this week, we went back.  I made sure I had had plenty of sleep and I was up for the two hours of Japanese!  I came in with a smile.  The lady (Mrs. Konno) that sat across from me the week before came a little late.  She came in and in her dear, broken English explained she couldn't stay, but that she wanted to give me a gift.  She gave me a bag with cans of beans in it.  I need to explain that she frequents my recipe blog (hungryhintons.blogspot.com) and had seen on there that I posted a recipe for beans and ham and stated that I love them. 

She had obviously put much thought, time, and effort into the gift and the notes that she wrote in English.  How she must have labored over writing those notes in English.  The thought makes me cry.   I wonder if she thought I had been in the bathroom when I was gone all that time the week before?  So that's why she gave me beans?  Anyway, it was so sweet and thoughtful.
But what makes it sacred is that as I hugged her, she started crying.  Tears were dripping from her face.  That's when I knew how very heartfelt and sacred this was.  This is not a member of our church, or even a Christian.  Or is she?  Is a Christian one who professes to follow Christ, or one who lives and loves as He did?  Food for thought. . .  So many of these dear Japanese people are so Christ-like.  She promised she would come next week and we would do something tanoshii (see above.)  She then left.  She had driven, who knows how far,  just to cheer me and give me her gifts and notes. Again, I ask, Who is serving whom?