Sometimes it happens to

M     E.        .        .

Y    o    u ?

Sometimes my inner and outer

Caring Catalyst

gets scabbed over

o  k.          .          .

C         A          L          L          O          U          S          E          D

and then it gets

s     o     f     t     e     n     e     d

with  the

s i m p l e s t

the most

s i g n i f i c a n t

things:

A  mere  phone  call.          .          .

I hadn’t heard from him in a long time–

y  e  a  r  s

We had been colleagues

but never close

and never social.        .        .

we might have seen each other across the room

at a conference or a luncheon presentation

but neither would make a move to meet

in the middle.     .     .

an acquaintance

nothing more

maybe even

l   e   s   s

and   then

I had heard recently after giving a presentation

at a local hospital

that he had suffered a severe stroke.     .     .

I think I reached out

benignly

via a FaceBook Instant Message

that I was thinking of him and wishing him the best

and then.     .     .

h       o       n       e       s       t        l       y

I     f o r g o t     a b o u t     him.          .          .

When the cell phone rang

I didn’t recognize the number

but I broke my rule of answering a

number I didn’t recognize

and it was him.       .       .

He quickly identified himself

and even before I could say

h       e       l       l       o

or ask him how he was doing

he  was  apologizing.     .     .

asking forgiveness for

not keeping in touch

talking about me behind my back

not being supportive when he knew I had been going through a particularly tough professional situation.       .       .

and then through broken sobs

he was asking if I and everyone I knew

could pray for his healing—

not his complete healing from the stroke,

just a partial healing that would allow him to play his music

on the piano and guitar

he often did for patients and families

and with a jazz group he would jam with

on Friday nights.          .          .

the  scab  gave  loose.        .        .

the callous

s        o        f        t        e        n        d

Sometimes it happens to me.        .        .

y  o  u ?

Sometimes my inner and outer

Caring Catalyst

gets scabbed

ok.          .          .

C        A         L        L        O        U        S        E        D;

Has that happened to you?

When was the last time?

Me?

It happened when

Humility    Dialed    A    Phone

and

I

a            n            s            w            e            r            e            d

the scab gave loose

the callous–

softened.           .          .

Me.        .        .        ?

h     u     m     b     l     y        

 c h a n g e d