Childlike Excitement

This past weekend a few of the ladies and I went with Tammy to help her with a dance workshop she was doing in Lexington, KY. I have to say I walked away from this weekend changed and touched by some of the people I met. The church were the workshop was held at has a broad spectrum of people such as our own church. They have a large number of exceptional adults who have disabilities of varying degrees. The sweetest people you will ever meet. One in particular touched my life this weekend. Her name was Barbara just like mine. I was her buddy for the weekend. Most people would look at her and not want to pay her any mind or attention, but I took the time to listen to whatever it was she had to say. When she smiled it made you want to smile back. We were teaching the ladies at the workshop a dance that they were going to be able to minister in front of their church on Sunday morning. Tammy chose a few of the ladies to do some flags at a point in the dance. Barbara was fascinated by the flags just like a little child would be. She wanted so much to be able to wave the flags. When we came back on Saturday morning to continue the workshop Barbara had asked Tammy if she could put the cd on so she could listen to it and wave the flags to it. Tammy smiled and told her yes and left her there to do it. No one was watching her because we were all over on the other side eating breakfast. I happen to peep around and see her standing there on the stage with the flags with the biggest smile on her face. She said "Barbara you see me...you see me...I'm doing the flags. I smiled back and said yes I do. She wanted so much to do them in the dance and wanted me to ask Tammy if she could do them I told her I would ask for her. So much was going on in the room I didn't say anything right away and Tammy knew already what Barbara wanted without me asking. She walks up to Tammy and says "Tammy she want to ask you sumting". It was so childlike and so sweet we smiled and laughed. Not at her but at her innocence and excitement to want to wave those flags. That's how it should be with us every time we worship god. We need to come with that childlike excitement wanting to praise him with everything we have in us. I learned alot just from that moment with Barbara. I want to come before him with the childlike excitement to praise him and not be inhibited by what others think. No matter how silly it looks I should want to praise him with everything I have in me and not let anyone stop me. When the Sunday service was over Tammy told Barbara that we had something for her. She gave her an old flag that we don't use for her to have. She smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen and gave Tammy a hug and said thank you. I will never forget that look on her face as she walked out with her flag.