‘Special’ means exactly that!

There are a few ‘special’ people in my life. They always know how to make my day whenever I meet them and they don’t even realize how good they are at it. There’s Edward. I have known Edward for a lot of years now. We go to church together. He walks by the church early in the morning as I’m pulling into the parking lot for work. I know the minute I open my door he will be calling out from across the street.
“Morning Miss Dinah!”
“Morning Edward!”
“How are you Miss Dinah?”

“I’m fine Edward, how are you?”

“Good. I’m good. Ya, ya!”

“That's good!  Have a good day Edward!”

“Ya, ya! You too! Bye Miss Dinah!”

“Bye Edward!”

It’s a simple conversation, but it’s a special short exchange that always warms my heart.

Then there is Jason. I’ve known Jason since he was a little boy. He talks to me now, even shakes my hand on a Sunday morning as he holds out a bulletin for me to take. He’s one of our ushers. Our conversations are limited, he usually throws in a couple of ‘yo’s’ or something like that, which is low German for “yes!” He rarely makes eye contact, but he shakes my hand and speaks. For Jason that is huge, for me, its a gift.

Then there is Daniel. He’s Jason’s brother. He talks a bit more than Jason, even calling me by name. He likes people and he likes to tell me the names of the people he knows and what they do in the church. He went on a mission trip to Mexico last year. He still talks about the coke he had down there. Daniel loves hockey. He’s got a great sense of humor! My conversations with Daniel bring me joy! 

Then there are Harry and Lillian. A brother and sister. They come to church faithfully. I see them in the pew on a Sunday morning. One is never usually seen without the other. I didn’t know that they even knew who I was because our paths don't really cross.

Then one day I met them in the Co-op restaurant. Harry stopped by my table to ask if I was enjoying my lunch, the question took me by surprise, but in a good way.

Lillian had made her way to the clerk at the counter with their helper so she hadn’t seen me. I told Harry I had enjoyed it immensely, and then asked how his lunch had been. He had a huge grin and said it was good. At that point Lillian realized that her brother had not followed her and she turned around and before you could blink she came to the table and without taking her eyes off of me she said quite sternly and directly, “Who are you?”

I smiled and explained that I was Dinah and that I worked at the church. She squinted at me; I think she was working hard trying to place me. I went on, “You have probably seen me standing up in the sound booth."  I demonstrated with my hands, "I’m way up high in the sound booth.” Her face broke into this huge smile and she moved her hand up and down as though she could hardly wait until I stopped talking.

“I know you! I’ve seen you in church! You come to my church! Sure, I should have known you, cause I’ve seen you lots of times!” She smiled her big beautiful smile again wanting to talk more, but their helper came and asked them to follow her back to the counter so they could pay and leave. They walked away turning back to look at me, smiling all the way. They paid for their lunch and then with another wave and smiles a mile wide they walked out.

They made my day!

Some folks would say that these people are people with 'special needs', I guess that's true, I just call them 'special' because they have a way of making you feel privileged to know them.  They make you feel special for no other reason than because that's who they are and when they make you feel that special it makes you want to pass that feeling on to others. It really doesn’t take much. None of my conversations with any of these wonderful people lasts for more than a few minutes and it’s not the words they speak, it’s the expressions on their faces, the smiles, and the body language. They know how to make you feel ‘special’ by drawing you into their world of love and acceptance.

We can do it too…we just don’t always choose too.

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
                                                                                   Romans 9:21