A Norvell Note
March 9, 2025 – Vol. 29 No. 10
Be There
Life lesson: You are what the world needs.
Many years ago, when we were involved in college ministry, there was a group of college ladies who committed to visiting a nursing home regularly. Occasionally, they needed transportation to and from the facility, which was several miles from campus. They gave their time and energy to residents in the not-the-nicest facility. The urine smell was strong, some areas were dark, and many residents were in feeble health and had difficulty communicating. That didn’t deter these college ladies.
The college ladies had become friends with specific people and would spend most of their time providing companionship and conversation with their adopted residents. It was a beautiful example of giving yourself away.
On one occasion, as the designated driver, I heard one lady singing gospel songs as I moved around the room. When I turned to see where the singing was coming from, I saw a lady who was blind, had no legs below her knees, and was sitting in her wheelchair. I pulled up a chair and sat beside her. We talked for a while, and as I was telling her goodbye, she thanked me for stopping to talk with her and said that she had prayed earlier in the day that “God would send me someone to talk to today. So, you were an answer to my prayer.”
I left that somewhat rundown facility feeling like God had used me, that I was right where I was supposed to be, and that I had been “an answer to prayer.”
I think about that lady now and then (I wish I could remember her name), especially now that I am making similar visits daily as a Hospice Chaplain. I reflect on her words when I wonder if this is what I am supposed to be doing, what I am doing with my life, and where I am supposed to be. That lady in the Palmyra, Tennessee, nursing facility first reminded me that I could be an answer to someone’s prayer by simply being present at the moment.
At about that same time, I read and began to understand the Sermon on the Mount, particularly these words.
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
If you ever wonder about your purpose in life, the answer may not be as complicated as you think. Just show up. Be there for people. Be salt. Add some flavor to their lives. Be a light in what may be a dark world.
You may be the answered prayer to a lonely lady in a wheelchair.
It may not seem very important, but the world needs you.
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