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A Role Model for Us All
 Let me introduce you to 21-year-old Mindy. Within a short while after meeting her, you will learn that she was born at St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs, and that she has Down Syndrome. These days she has a job at Fort Carson, and assists in the primary children’s Sunday School class at our church.
Lately, Mindy has been dropping by my office on Thursday nights while her parents are at bell choir practice. She swishes around in the chair in my office, tells me about her friends at work, and then after a little while, asks if she can borrow the digital camera. Then she runs around and takes pictures of the floor, the stairs, the wastebasket, as well as her grandpa, her sister, and me. As I watched her taking pictures recently, full of joy with each picture taken, I realized there are a lot of life lessons we can learn from the way Mindy lives her life.
1. Mindy embraces the moment—Too often I get caught up in worrying about what the future brings and on what has happened in the past. And I miss the blessings that are in front of me right now.
2. Mindy lives life transparently—Most of the time, if Mindy is happy with me, I know it. And if she is angry with me, she does not make that much of a secret either. Even when she is trying to be really nice to me because she wants something, what she is doing is obvious. For many of us, I think it is tempting to live our lives worrying about what others think. Mindy teaches us that that is a strange and silly way to live.
3. Mindy admits her shortcomings—The other day Mindy was telling me how she had gotten in trouble at work, and that she needed to “check her attitude.” That’s not something many of us would come out and admit in a conversation.
4. Mindy worships with her whole heart—There are times when I am unhappy with a song selection in worship, and I get a bad attitude. Then I look over at Mindy, and there she is with her hand lifted in praise and a big smile on her face, singing as loud and as passionately as she possibly can. At those points she “checks my attitude.”
5. Mindy loves unconditionally—From the moment I came to Colorado Springs, I have enjoyed the fact that I get big hugs from Mindy almost every Sunday. There have been moments I have had to discipline Mindy, moments I have ignored her when I should not have. She has accepted me and loved me anyway as best as she knows how, not because I have deserved it, but just because I am me.
If we all could act like Mindy, the world might be a little better place.
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