Some years ago, I read a mission newsletter and saw that a girl some years younger than me was a midwife and had delivered her 300th baby. I remember the pang it gave me, of admiring her and feeling that I wasn’t doing anything that noble or laudable. Some time later, I got to meet this girl and found her to be a kindred spirit, a lovely person, and very down to earth and a servant heart.

Then this week I heard from a friend in Central American who is a ‘mom’ to 6 orphans, some of them physically or mentally handicapped. I cannot imagine the huge demands this puts on her, and know that I could NEVER do that, and I’m sooooo proud of her.

All my life, I’ve looked up to people who I think have done wonderful, amazing things with their talents. I’m in awe of them, and think that somehow they breathe some other air than us mere mortals. Then when I get to know them, I find them to be normal people who simply do the next thing ahead of them.

Looking at life from a recliner for the last several weeks makes me think about the worth of a person, and that our value is NOT in what we DO. It is hard for me to switch gears and believe that I am as much value when I sit and give my body time to heal as when I’m rushing around doing a lot of work. And I must value others who seem not to do the amazing, laudable things that I admire, because most likely they too are using their gifts in simple, hidden ways, but are no less amazing or admirable.