The Sparrow at Starbucks

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"

To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well, do you know any hymns?"

Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look, "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

"Why should I be discouraged?
"Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy;
"I sing because I'm free.
"For His eye is on the sparrow
"And I know He watches me."

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!"

But the ovation continued and I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well," she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, grabbing my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence: "Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Was it coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Was it coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember:
* Noah was a drunk
* Abraham was too old
* Isaac was a daydreamer
* Jacob was a liar
* Leah was ugly
* Joseph was abused
* Moses had a stuttering problem
* Gideon was afraid
* Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
* Rahab was a prostitute
* Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
* David had an affair and was a murderer
* Elijah was suicidal
* Isaiah preached naked
* Jonah ran from God
* Naomi was a widow
* Job went bankrupt
* John the Baptist ate bugs
* Peter denied Christ
* The Disciples fell asleep while praying
* Martha worried about everything
* The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
* Zaccheus was too small
* Paul was too religious
* Timothy had an ulcer...AND
* Lazarus was dead!

God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. God bless.

Caregiver Tip of the Month – January 2010 Notes from Area Agency on Aging of North Idaho

Does Grandpa have “Advance Directives”?
If a stroke or serious illness left a family member unable to communicate, who would decide? Do you know what care he would choose? Would he want life sustaining procedures in all circumstances? Would he want comfort care? To ensure choice and personal control, find out about his values and choices. Before a crisis requires action, raise issues of care. Sometimes called “Advanced Directives”, a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, can designate his preferences. It also gives you a chance to discuss the common attitude, “My family knows what I want “, or “They’ll know what’s best for me” or even “I’m not going to a nursing home.”
· A Living Will describes the care you want. Forms are available at the Area Agency on Aging and from the Secretary of State website- www.sos.idaho.gov and click on the Health Care Directive Registry and then the Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
Be aware of the resources and options for help: For more information, contact Betsy Bullard, Options Counselor at Area Agency on Aging of North Idaho at 667-3179, ext. 222.
To understand the continuum of care resources in our community, attend the Care and Recovery Services (CARS presentation-Navigating the Health Care Highway) in a panel for the Alzheimer’s Association Jan. 14, 6:30 PM at Life Care Center in Post Falls, next to Walmart. Call PJ Christo of the Alzheimer’s Association, 667-2996, if you are interested in attending.




Did you know …..
· It takes 2 doctors to concur that you are unable to make your choice of care, before your Living Will goes into effect and the decisions are made by your designated health care agent.

· Anyone over the age of 18, that is of sound mind, and acting of his or her own free will, can complete a Living Will.
· Your Living Will does not have to be witnessed or notarized to be valid. As of 2005 it is no longer necessary to have either a witness to your execution of a Living Will, nor to have your signature notarized.
· Especially if your condition is terminal, you would want to have your doctor fill out a POST (Physician’s Orders of Scope of Treatment) which provides specific protocol for care. You can order a DNR wrist bracelet to designate care for EMS personnel by contacting: Idaho End-of-Life Coalition, PO Box 496, Boise, ID 83701 (Order must include a copy of your physician-signed POST form). Find on the web at: www.abetterwaycoalition.org.

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and 4 year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight blurrd, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off the spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something with grandpa," said the son. "I have had enough of spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and the wife set a small table in the corner.

There grandpa ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed their dinner. Since Grandpa had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandpa's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped his fork or spilled food. The 4 year old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little wooden bowl for you to eat your food when you grow old." The 4 year old smiled and went on with his work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no words were spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took the grandfather's hand and gently led him to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. For some reason, neither the husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork dropped, milk spilled or the tablecloth soiled.

Loss

We lost one of our longtime clients the other night. She was a beautiful woman both inside and out. All of us here at Home Helpers give our sincere condolances to Elinore's family. During the time we cared for her, we all came to love her just as her family did. She is at peace now and with god. She will be missed by all those here that loved her.

Emergency Buttons

I got a call from my cousin right after Christmas. He was sad to inform me that his mother had died right before Christmas. He had seen her the night before and her furnace had quit working. He wanted her to come stay with him that night but she insisted she would be fine to stay at home. The next morning he had tried to call her all morning and couldn't reach her. He had figured she had gone out shopping. Finally he went over and found her sitting on her couch dead. She had been dead from a heart attack for 3-4 hours.

The same thing almost happened to me with my mom. She was having a heart attack and fortunately we had gotten her a Direct Link emergency button. She pushed it and they dispatched paramedics. She did die from the attack but was able to survive for another two weeks. Those two weeks extra that I had with her was well worth whatever the cost was for the emergency button.

Any senior who lives alone must have a Direct Link button. My mother and aunt both seemed healthy and were very active. If you have a loved one who lives alone, call us to inquire about Direct Link. Take it from someone who has experienced it first hand, it is well worth it. 208-769-9560