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Dear Families,
I recently traveled to attend a board meeting at another Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School (XBSS). Since the other school was in Brooklyn, I decided to take the train to avoid driving in city traffic. While waiting at South Station to board my train, I decided to fold my suit jacket and place it in my backpack. I wanted to arrive in good condition for my meeting.
My wife will tell you that my ability to fold is less than average. She gave up long ago asking me to fold the laundry correctly. My suit jacket was suffering at my hands as I attempted several times to fold it neatly. During my fourth try, an elderly gentleman approached me.
“You need help with that?” he asked.
Without hesitation, he took the suit jacket from my hands. Then, with a few quick motions, he flipped inside out and folded it twice. He handed it back to me.
“I worked in clothing all my life. There won’t be a wrinkle when you take it out,” he said.
I thanked him, and he walked away. I placed the suit jacket in my backpack. When I retrieved it four hours later, it had not one wrinkle. I was impressed.
After the meeting, it was time to fold the suit jacket and put it away. I did my best to emulate what I had seen the man do at the train station and stowed it away. When I arrived home, the suit jacket was wrinkled and could not be worn without being ironed first. I had not been able to do what the man had done.
I wanted to avoid wrinkles and attempted to do so through my own effort. Yet, I did not have the hands or the skill of the “master” I met at the train station. It was only with his help that the end result had been wrinkle-free.
It reminded me how each day I need to depend on our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, to help me. Depending on my own efforts can lead to more wrinkles. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He is waiting, like the elderly man at the train station, to help us accomplish things we could never do on our own.
Sincerely,
John K. Thornburg
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