Lessons From the Edge

Grumpy people need love, too.

So, there's this man at Edgewood who is kinda scary. He's grumpy and he yells at people frequently. He drives around in one of those automatic wheelchair gizmos, and sometimes a person might fear that he's going to run them over. Seriously.

The first time I talked with him, I didn't know he was grumpy. In fact, he seemed nice. But as time went on, I learned.

Or did I?

A few weeks ago he wheeled by me when I was kneeling down, petting our nurse's dog. And he stopped to see why I was on the floor. We started talking about dogs and funny things they do, and had a delightful conversation. *That was a surprise!*

Another day I chatted with A for a few minutes after I made announcements at lunch time. It was during our conversation I learned that A used to attend church regularly, and I suggested maybe he should come to our Bible study some Monday. He said, maybe he would.

And this past Monday, he did! There were a few individuals who were surprised to see him there. But everyone received him kindly.

And Wednesday this week was A's birthday. A balloon was waiting for him when he wheeled into the dining room, and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. After I made announcements I went over to A's chair, gave him a hug, and wished him a happy birthday. I'm telling you, that grumpy old man had the sweetest smile on his face!

It's true. A yells. He complains. Often times, he is a very unpleasant man. But it is as though he's a totally different person when you're pouring love out on him. It's beautiful!

Soooooo, is there a 'grumpy old man' (or woman, or young teen, or needy toddler...) in your life from whom you feel like running away? Will you accept a challenge to pour love on them, and see what happens? It could be beautiful!

Because ~ Grumpy people need love, too.

Congratulations to Lorri ~ winner of yesterday's give-away!