Summer is on its way. I can feel it not only in the way the sun is kissing my bare arms or the whispers of the bumblebee in my ear, but also in the eyes of my community members: eyes that nearly scream "SUMMER CAMP!", eyes that say "this may be one of our last talks", eyes that yearn for new sights.
Change is in the air like pollen around here waiting to take root. News comes like the first spring flowers: as a surprise yet expected, beautiful with some troublesome side effects.
I have committed myself to be present in the moment. This is something I need to work on continually, but it will take some serious effort on the part of all us volunteers these next few months. I have found myself at times lately stressing over details. In a moment of total loss and frustration, I looked up and saw a quote tacked to my bulletin board. It reads: “Life is simple, sometimes we just complicate it”. I have pondered this statement many times since coming to CAP and found it to be true. However, it is one of those things that I need to be reminded of constantly. In that moment I once again asked myself “Really? It certainly doesn’t feel like it right now”. Then I took a step back and realized that the questions that had me so frustrated did not have to be nearly as complicated as I was making them. I was muddling in details when all I had to do was look up. The quote on the wall was God’s way of telling me to trust Him.
I have been reminded of the truth of this quote many times over the past few months. Typically the reminder comes when I am sitting with participants talking about the weather, the birds, the pleasure in good food, etc. My elderly participants do not rush. They put first things first, appreciating each breath while calmly acknowledging that they may not be granted another. I love our visits because they remind me to let go of my trivial worries and take the long view.
Like many of us, I can be a perfectionist at times getting so tangled up in details and responsibilities that I am blinded to my surroundings. Thankfully, I am not required to work out all the details of life. The Lord only requires me to trust Him and follow his commandments. I must simply focus on the greatest of his commandments which is to love Him with all our minds, all our hearts, and all our strength. If that truly is the essence of our lives than life really is simple. So if life is simple, why complicate it? This is of course one of those things that is easier said than done. As the service term for many of the long-term volunteers draws to a close with the coming of the summer months and the practicalities of life demand our attention, I will seek out those little reminders to simplify.
Debbie is an AmeriCorps Elderly Services Caseworker in Jackson County and is a member of the Jackson Volunteer Community. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.
