My parents are awesome. Modern day saints if you ask me. After being involved in church work for years, they married (at 40 and 33) and raised three children -- my dad as a bivocational pastor and my mom as a day care mom and a teacher's aid. When my Dad was 70 and my mom 63, they went on a missions trip to a Native American boarding school several states away from their home of 25 years. They fell in love witht he place and within 6 weeks had moved there -- my mom serving as a full time employee and my dad under a volunteers contract.
Within a year they had realized they had found their calling and decided to stay. They sold the home of my childhood and bought a double wide trailer, which, ironically, was probably the newest and nicest home they had ever owned.
I'm visiting them sitting in that trailer right now and am amazed at their choices. They bought a three bedroom trailer. On one end, the master bedroom and bath -- a beautiful room, spacious and stylish. The master bath, complete with sunken tub and a shower, and a double sink.
The other end there are two small bedrooms and a simple guest bathroom.
My parents moved in to one of the small bedrooms and began to set up the master bedroom and suite so that they could be a "bed and breakfast" for visiting volunteers at the school. The bathroom remains spotless, with all the toiletries supplied, and always with clean towels. The bed is always made up with clean sheets and they have had numerous guests, including me and various representations of my family, here over the years.
Now they are 76 and and 82 and the guest room is still open to whoever might need it. And the small bedroom belongs to them, the other small bedroom a den.
What kind of people make those kind of choices? People with a mind and heart ready to serve and a commitment to that service that never ends.
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