A Lenten Devotion by Shelly Cichowlas
A good friend is a blessing from God.
1 Samuel 18:3
When Noah was a baby and I served on our church’s mission board, he used to attend meetings in his infant carrier. Though he mostly slept, it was likely his first introduction to being part of a church committee. Another aspect of the mission work Noah did with me was a monthly run to GWARC in Waltham, the place where Amy Hendrick worked as a nurse. Edwards Church partnered with GWARC, a day program for people with intellectual and developmental differences, to prepare a monthly meal for the residents of Turning Point Shelter.
Sometimes on our visits, Noah was able to see the people using adaptive cooking equipment in the kitchen where the meals they prepared for Turning Point Shelter were prepared. We were also able to see the other parts of the program where the residents made beautiful potted plants.
One of Noah’s favorite people to visit was an older gentleman named Earl. When Amy introduced Earl, I recall both looking shyly at one another and, though Noah was a pretty quiet toddler, they seemed to connect on a non-verbal level the first time they met.
Each month, before we left the house, Noah would often choose the toy he wanted to take with him to show his friend, Earl. It was usually something with wheels and he would hold it in his hand the entire car ride. When we arrived, Noah would look for the room where he hoped to find Earl. One day we went to visit and found Earl had moved his wheelchair across the room to see Noah- something Amy said he had never done on his own before.
While these special trips came to an end when I returned to work, the two years of special visits are still something I remember fondly.
Thank you God for connections with special people and places where we feel your living spirit! Amen