ST. SAMUEL

                                                SAM, THE SAINT

     We formed new friendships with the employees at the hotel in Houston where we stayed. They became family to us, extensions of our own family. It was so heart warming to see them serve the cancer patients with love and care and kindness. It is apparent that it's one big happy family built on God's love.
     Sam is one of the shuttle drivers who is a special man. He's about 60 years old, a slightly built black man. I have a wonderful image in my mind of him that will always stay there. It is one of Sam lifting a seven or eight year old cancer patient, a tiny boy with bony thin legs and arms. Sam was lifting the emaciated boy out of the front seat of the shuttle and lovingly placing him in his wheel chair. The precious boy leaned his white, bald head on the shoulder of Sam, the shuttle driver. It was one of the most spiritual sights I've ever seen. It seemed like Jesus was lifting the child in his loving arms, giving the boy the security he needed.
     Sam told us later that the boys parents are divorced and they hate each other, each one always bending Sam's ear about the sins of the other one. In Sam's arms the boy seemed so secure and loved. I called Sam a saint after that. He will always be St. Samuel to me.
     St. Samuel told us a gem of wisdom I'll never forget. He said that he noticed that when someone tells a derogatory story about someone else, that the one telling the story is always the hero of the story. He said, "When I tell my brothers a story about something negative that my wife did, I'm always the hero of the story." Insight like that doesn't come from men. It comes from God.
     St. Samuel is wise, also. He said he listens patiently to the stories he hears, knowing he's only hearing one side.
     Love can be manifested by patiently lifting the diseased body of a small boy and giving him momentary physical and emotional stability. Love can be manifested by listening to the stories of parents who are warring against each other, letting them know that he understands. Love can be manifested by sharing truths with other people, even those people who are sitting in a shuttle being transported to cancer treatments.
     St. Samuel manifests love in every activity he performs. God uses him to manifest His love and share His truths. I wouldn't have missed knowing Sam for anything. He's one of those truly rare jewels we find in life. We discovered that jewel in the middle of Steve's cancer treatment. I can't think of a better place to find a rare jewel.