After Roy's funeral we have spent this last week thinking more about Roy and Evelyn, about their influence, their willingness to cover people with prayer and loving care. In looking over some of the minutes of past Board meeting of Haven Hill Foundation (1983),I found this quotation from the book A GIFT FROM GOD by Mother Teresa (adapted for Michigan).
"...in Michigan and the whole USA the problems of our people are deep down, at the bottom of their hearts. They have to come to know you and trust you, to see you as a person with Christ's compassion and love, before their problems will emerge and you can help them. This takes a lot of time! Time for you to be people of prayer and time to give yourself to each of your people.
"There is always danger that we may become only social workers, or just do the work for the sake of the work. It is a danger if we forget for whom we are doing it. Our works are only an expression of our love for Christ. Our hearts need to be full of love for him, since we have to express that love in action, naturally then the poor are the means of expressing our love for God.
"A Hindu gentleman said that they and we are doing social work, and the difference between them and us is that they are doing it for something, and we are doing it for somebody.
"If there are people who feel that God wants them to change the structures of society, that is something between them and their God. We must serve him in whatever way we are called. I am called to help the individual; to love each poor person. Not to deal with institutions. I am in no position to judge."
Following the funeral and a luncheon people were asked to share any story about Roy and Evelyn ---- many people stood up and told stories. Five to seven "young" couples shared about their honeymoon at Willowbank, others talked about humor, insight, changed perspective on marriage, business, "the work", other individuals etc. etc. Roy and Evelyn cared about people and only rarely about institutions. For them each person really counted!
May that same spirit invade each of out lives.
Bill
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