They Also Serve

"Dr. Waldron,"  the older man's voice was muffled by the mask he was wearing.  I could only see his eyes and I realized how hard it is to read a person's expressions when half their face is hidden by a surgical mask.  "I wanted to let you know how much my wife and I appreciate you and all the staff here in Brookneal."

"Thank you," I said.

Tears came to his eyes.  "We read about a doctor who was taking care of patients with this virus who died.  It was terrible."

He paused, trying to get a handle on his emotions.  "We can't do much.  Just stay home and try not to get sick.  But we can pray and we do a lot of that.  We pray for you and the nurses and all the people who work here.  We're praying too for all of the other people around the world who are trying to take care of sick people right now."

I thanked him again and moved on, but I continued to think about this interaction.  It hasn't been the only one where people thanked me or told me they were praying for me lately.

I am not on the front line of fighting COVID 19 by any means, but the knowledge that there are people thinking and praying for me says a lot.  Truthfully, it doesn't say much about who I am, but more about what sort of people they are.

These people are those who think, not only of themselves, but also of others.  They are filled with love to the point that when life bruises them it brings forth kindness.

Tough people may make it through tough times, but it is those who figure out ways to love others who will grow in a crisis.  They may not be able to do much, only think and pray and worry for those on the front lines, but that is enough.

Many years ago, the poet John Milton wrote about a sonnet about dealing with his blindness and his struggle to serve God with that disability.  The poem ends with the simple phrase, "They also serve, who only stand and wait."

I would emend that just a little for the crisis we are facing today.

"They also serve, who only love and pray."