Lady Of Inspirational Service ... Day 14

I remember the first time I ever saw you - you scared me half to death. I was working one evening in the TH kitchen and suddenly I had an ominous intimation that I was not alone. I spun around on my heel; and there you were, at the east door to the TH, peeking through the glass and waving to try to get my attention, grinning all the while.

"I'm Lois! I'm here! Dorothy said you might be holding a job for me - would you like me to work?"

With that you hugged me and that was pretty much the sum of the job interview.

You worked hard and so faithfully. You "showed up" every single shift you were assigned. Your attitude was cheerful, and you never baulked at anything I asked of you.

And what you did for the staff! You became their mentor, their friend, their big sister. You worked alongside of them and won their confidence, respect and love. They learnt discipline and patience and cooperation because they saw it in you.

You emphasized their intrinsic self-worth; and, what's more, you got them to believe in themselves - no mean feat when dealing with adolescents!

What you did for me goes too deep for mere words, but I'll try. You believed in the TH and its mission. You accepted me - receipts flying around, stuff on the stairs, impossible assignments even after you had moved on to other things (190 Cornish hens, cleaned and stuffed one day and then roasted, plated and served the next? no problem - you made a special trip to come back to Three Hills and help me!), emotional 911s - you loved me and supported me through it all.

More than that, you were the one who could bring my vision of this place into focus for me and then articulate it to others. I will never forget one time I asked you, "Lois, do you want to work in the front with the customers?"

Your reply was, "Karyn, I just want to serve. I don't need to be up there; I can be of greater help to you back here and so I'm just as happy being in the kitchen."

I believe that is one of your great attributes: you have a servant's heart and the invaluable gift of helps. My Dad said just today in the Sunday school class he is teaching that the definition of glorifying God is not putting a halo on Him - God is perfect, so how can you improve on perfection? - but it is accomplished through revealing some aspect of His character that is true. And then Dad went on to say, "For example, look at the Holy Spirit and how many times He is associated with helping people. If we in turn help people, we are manifesting a characteristic of God that is true and by doing so we glorify Him."

This is what you do. Through your actions and your attitude you reveal God to those who have the privilege of knowing you. I think about your stories of midwifery training and practice. Never once did you put yourself forward (I had to get it out of your friends at the coolest pre-wedding henna party ever!) but in all things you sought to turn the attention from yourself to the families you ministered to, the babies you delivered, the people who were with you.

I am so thrilled that you and Greg found each other. From the (too) little I know of him, I see that you share the same heart, the same spirit of humility, the same goals and aspirations: to love God and to serve others.



Because of you and in honour of you, the TH's LOIS Award was created. Our first recipient was Brent, and the second was Tiffany. LOIS sums you up:

• Leading
• Others, with
• Integrity, through
• Service

I am so grateful that "our" three TH boys - Matt, Brent and Curt - have had you to set the bar for what they should be looking for in a life partner.

I treasure your visits when you're back in town, and I thank you for pulling on an apron and jumping back into the fray just because you see I'm short staffed - who does this?! Oh, that's right: you and Brent, who learnt from you what it was to care and serve in practical, unobtrusive ways.

 LoisLewis, thank you for the threads you have woven into the fabric and the character of this place. God bless you and keep you and may you continue to be a blessing wherever you go and in whatever capacity you serve.