The Man With the Cherry Pie

Yesterday was the day - the day that I went to the Mayo Clinic for my first diabetes consultation appointments since I have had diabetes. It was a rather long day for me. As much as I wanted to listen and take in all of the interesting information they had for me concerning my diabetic health, I found myself just smiling and nodding, but not really paying attention. Oh well. That had been my morning.



Lunch Time: My parents and I decided to eat at the Mayo cafeteria since I had an appointment right after lunch. We got our food (including the biggest portion of tater-tot hotdish I have ever eaten...and consequently, my number was 228 later) and looked for a place to sit. There was a middle aged lady sitting at the end of a table and across from her sat her father, as I later discovered. She quickly invited us to sit with them and we gladly accepted. Her father, an elderly gentleman, sat in a wheelchair and was wearing a plaid, collared shirt with suspenders. I sat next to him. He was intently eating his soup and I noticed that he had a piece of cherry pie on his tray as well. Of course, the sugar-lover that I am, I commented to him that his cherry pie looked tasty. He commented that he wanted chocolate ice cream on it - NOT vanilla...he got chocolate. :)

This man's voice was soft and seemed worn through years of use. His face sported quite a few wrinkles. And I'm sure his hands didn't move as smoothly or effectively as they had in years past. But one thing remained: his faith.

With him and his daughter, my parents and I had some interesting conversations. The daughter asked what my dad did for a living. He responded that he was a pastor. Instantly, the man seemed to light up. He told my dad that that was the most important job in the world. I was surprised by his passion in that statement. But what he said afterward I hope I never forget. He said, "Everyone has a gift to give - it doesn't matter what it is. It's a part of how we were made." He went on talking about this for a minute or two and I was so amazed by what he was saying. His body was failing in different areas, but is his spirit shone through.

After some more conversations and the completion of our meal, it was time to go to the appointment. We bid our farewells and expressed that it was nice to meet them. I spent some time thinking about this short meeting. And as I looked back upon it, I didn't remember the worn, hoarse voice or the wrinkles. I remembered the words and the passion. I remembered the encouragement to my dad that his job was important. And I remembered the encouragement to everyone that no matter who they are, God has given them an incredible gift; a gift that can be used to bring others closer to God. Gifts, as this man put it, are different for every person and we were made for them to be different.


I don't even know this man's name or his life story. But I do know that he must have been going through some tough times for him to be at Mayo at this particular time. Through this experience, I was able to see firsthand exactly what he was talking about. I could see that he had an incredible gift to share as well. His body seemed frail, but nothing was going to stop his passion for his Savior to shine through.

My day was pretty much the same after that. But the words this gentleman spoke stuck with me throughout the day. It affected my outlook on some things and got me thinking. I am so grateful that I got to meet this incredible man and his daughter. I will never forget that man with the cherry pie.