Defining Moments

My twenty-something niece left a nice paying job—albeit a boring one, to work for a funeral home in Dallas, Texas. She transports the dead. It sounded odd to me, too. But when I took time to ask her about it, her choice became much clearer. Life’s like that. Questions will get you everywhere. Still, Blair was quick to acknowledge that her job has its own unique challenges.

For instance, her first experience picking up a body was tough. Blair was nervous. She had her script. She meant to follow it. The deceased was a wife, a mother, a grandmother who had been sent home on hospice care. It was a heart-rending scene. Protocol was for Blair to evaluate the situation and call for backup if help was needed. It appeared it would be. The woman was upstairs, accessible only by a tight spiral staircase. However, when the husband and sons expressed their desire to carry the stretcher down themselves, Blair agreed and stepped aside. The four men were maneuvering the body around and around when one of them stumbled and almost tripped. To her horror, Blair heard herself telling them to be careful because she “only came for one.” Oops. (I’m afraid it’s in the genes.)

That was a while back. Blair is extra careful now with what she says and does, which goes to the point I wanted to make. I mentioned the reasoning behind Blair’s choice of employment earlier because I hear a lesson in it for all of us. My niece told me she finds it very fulfilling to be involved in one of the defining moments of so many people’s lives. I’d like to take that a step further. As believers we’re interacting daily with people who don’t know Jesus Christ. If only we were as supersensitive to these interactions, ever aware that any of them could be The Defining Moment in another person’s life! In other words, if someone’s image of Christ was to be solely defined by you, or by me, what would He look like to them?

Hugs,
Shellie