Ordinary Saints

 Our congregation is doing a focus called "Ordinary Saints". I like that because only ordinary saints can help us, inspire us, and come to our aid. Saints are only ordinary in the sense that they can be found any where among us and often in the least expected places. The first Sunday's focus on ordinary saints covered all who serve in the profession of teachers. A teacher shared a brief presentation and said, "Every child is only one caring adult away from a success story." That touched me in a place that carries painful memories from my childhood. But it also brought me great joy as I immediately thought of that one caring adult that made the difference in my life. Her name was Mrs. Lucas, my college English professor. I will make the story short - I was nearly a high school drop out and no candidate for college. Miraculously, I ended up enrolled in college and amazingly, in one that valued writing and required a senior seminar paper (thesis) for graduation.  The freshman class was simple - write twelve short stories; five to seven pages on given themes. They were graded pass/fail and you had to pass seven to move on to the finals. The final consisted of all the freshmen English classes reading one book (To Kill a Mockingbird) and then answering one essay question of your choice. The final essay exam had to be at least ten pages and it was graded pass/fail by all the English department. To pass meant you moved on and were done with English. My first four short stories did not pass and were not even close to passing.  Fortunately, I had been assigned a class with an ordinary saint. Mrs. Lucas gave me a note and asked me to call and schedule an appointment with her. I had no previous encounters such as this so there was no sense of fear or dread. I truly had no idea what to expect. I made an appointment and went to her office. It was very typical of a professors office - full of books, papers every where, plants, dust and a small table with a Mr. Coffee pot to make hot water for tea. We sat down for a conversation and to my amazement she ask me to tell her my story. I was very limiting in the information I offered because I was not sure where this was leading or what it had to do with my class or assignments. But she was unrelenting in her range of questions and in the end my journey through the educational system was out in the open. To my amazement again, Mrs. Lucas was not concerned about what was now my obvious lack of basic English or for that matter, any subject. She was already ahead of the game and sensed that I needed to share my educational experience as a process of moving forward. Mrs. Lucas asked me to go to the book store and buy a two volume set of basic English grammar. Time was of the essence and we would need to cover about four weeks of material each week. Mrs. Lucas made herself available for two hours a week to work me through the material. She asked me not to submit any other stories until we were finished. She encouraged me and said something that has remained with me, "You have a very creative mind and you are going to pass this class."

After we finished the material, my next seven short stories passed. Not only that, but I passed the essay portion of the class and I moved on from freshman English to graduate from college and two graduate programs. I can contribute much of that to one ordinary saint named Mrs. Lucas. She was my one caring adult that moved me forward.

In week two of our focus on ordinary saints, we were ask to write down one or two people who you considered to be saints. It was easy, I wrote down James and Celia Biggs, my in-laws. They were really ordinary saints who simply practiced faith and lived life. They had room in their hearts to love all four of their own children and more than enough to include me, the first son-in-law. They welcomed me, encouraged me, and became the other caring adults that lead to a success story. They did this all in a very unassuming manner. It simply flowed out of who they were; very grateful people. I do not have time to blog all their story but they were quite remarkable in all the ways the world finds quite unremarkable; and that is what made them ordinary saints.

In week three we honored veterans and all who serve in the military. This is always a tricky field to navigate for me, leaning decidedly to a pacifist way of life and never finding much comfort in the illusive arguments of "Just War." We were asked to write down an ordinary saint that had served our country. Once again this was easy - James Biggs, my father-in-law. He served over forty years in government service. He was one of those that Tom Brokaw called "The Greatest Generation."  He loved everything about his service and his country. Again, there is not enough blog space to describe his kindness and character that made him, to me and so many others, an ordinary saint.

This focus on ordinary saints has encouraged me greatly. I challenge you to think of ordinary saints who have brought you joy. I may lack much of what the world esteems of value, and you may too, but God has dropped valued treasures in my life all along the journey that have enriched me in immeasurable ways. Truly, every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father.