Heroine: Miss Janie

Today, I'm starting a series of short snippets, spotlighting someone who's crossed paths with me. As Paul says several times: "I thank God ... for you." I do. When I think of these, who I will call heroes of my faith, I thank God for sending them into my life, for however long or brief a time.

I hope you enjoy meeting these heroes. Many of them have no idea how their actions have impacted me. But then, neither do we see how our lives touch another. It's not in the great things, but the simple, everyday, ordinary behavior that engraves the passion of our hearts into another.

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Miss Janie

I was five, maybe close to six, and she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever known—besides my mom, of course. Every Sunday, I wanted the family to rush us to church so I could sit in Miss Janie’s class. I wanted to hear her speak. Wanted to sit close to her, feel the warmth of her embrace.

One Sunday, she held our attention as she explained that a girl in our class had the mumps. “Make your cheeks really big, like this.” She blew out her cheeks, making her face look round. Each of us followed her example and held our pose while she began to talk to us. “Now, try to talk without letting the air out of your cheeks.”

We tried, but keeping our faces blown out like that was impossible when we opened our mouths.

Miss Janie continued to explain how difficult it was for our young friend to talk, to eat, or swallow because everything was swollen from this disease. From that day on, I found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to walk in another’s shoes. More on this in another post.

I will always be grateful for this Sunday school teacher who took the time to help a room full of five year old children to learn and extend compassion and empathy for another.

(Note: Names have been changed for the security and privacy of my heroes.)

Weaving words for the heart and soul,

Karlene A. Jacobsen
Freelance Writer
southpawscribbler@gmail.com