CHAPLAIN'S CHATS

Praise Comes with Responsibility
by Wanjiru Mukunga
Chaplain, The Johnson Center

We had just completed a Bible Study with the residents and I was wheeling one back to her room. Outside the door I found two visitors. I greeted them and they greeted me back and said that there were waiting to be taken on a tour by the Admissions Coordinator. I introduced myself. They felt free to talk further.

They reported that they had come here a while back and liked the place, but decided to check out other places. "We we want you to know that we have checked many places, but we keep on being drawn back here and it feels like, of all of them, this is the best! People seem so warm kind and loving. It feels good being here!" And in joined the resident I was with, "Oh this is the best of the bests! I have been here for over a year and I just love it. We are well taken care of and the people are so good, there is always something to do, See, we even have a Bible study, this is a good place…" And on and on they went.

I confess that personally I become very uncomfortable with praise as most people do. But how about when the praise is fitting? What is the appropriate response? Definitely not like Haman of old who responded to the honor bestowed on him with arrogance rather than with humility (you may want to read the story of Haman in the book of Esther). Still reflecting on the encounter and all those heaps of praise, I felt praise comes with a high dose of responsibility. We have to accept with great humility the praise, and plan on making great efforts to live up to it and not just bask in it. May God help us to make efforts to be even better!