Do You Care?

I am a member of Toastmasters which is an international organization designed to help members become better leaders as well as better communicators. In an effort to improve our vocabularies, at each of our weekly meetings the Wordmaster selects a Word of the Day. Each time members speak they are to use the word. When the Wordmaster introduces the word he or she tells the definition and uses it in a sentence. Today, I am playing Wordmaster and I have a Word of the Day for you. It is “care”: a simple word packed with meaning.

Definition:

Noun 1: suffering of mind, grief; 2 a: a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility b: a cause for such anxiety; 3 a: painstaking or watchful attention b: maintenance <floor-care products> 4: regard coming from desire or esteem 5: charge, supervision <under a doctor’s care> 6: a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude

Intransitive verb: 1 a: to feel trouble or anxiety b: to feel interest or concern <care about freedom> 2 : to give care <care for the sick> 3 a: to have a liking, fondness, or taste <don’t care for your attitude> b: to have an inclination <would you care for some pie>

Transitive verb: 1: to be concerned about or to the extent of <don’t care what they say> <doesn’t care a damn> 2: wish <if you care to go>

Three Examples of Care:

Example 1: After church, my husband, Butch, and I went to a local restaurant for lunch. It’s one of those places where you order and then sit down. When your order is ready, they call your name and you pick it up at the counter. They were busy, however, as we waited in line, we noticed that there were lots of tables open, more than enough for the people in front of us.  We ordered, got our drinks, turned around and there were no tables at all. No tables! There was one large party–probably friends from the same church–who were using three tables pushed together. They had all finished their food and were sitting there talking. My husband slowly walked around the restaurant. No tables. The problem was that people in line behind us had gotten tables before ordering their food and one of those was another large party who had pushed tables together. Butch and I sat on the patio where it was chillier than we like for outside dining, but we persevered.

Diners, care about other diners who are coming in behind you. If you see that they don’t have a comfortable table and you’ve finished eating, get up and offer your table to them. Care about the people around you, even if they are strangers.

Example 2: I have made a decision to stop reading articles in the paper–yes, I’m old-fashioned, I read the printed paper–or on the internet regarding the sequestering, budget, and deficit battles between the Democrats and Republicans because it raises my blood pressure each time. I can feel my heart rate increasing and my breathing quicken. It is not healthy. Not only is my reaction to the stories not healthy, the fighting among our elected officials is not healthy. The Democrats pushed for sequestering because they thought that would force the Republicans into doing what they wanted and the Republicans agreed to sequestering because they thought that would force the Democrats into doing what they wanted. What happened to having a civilized conversation, maybe over a cup of tea or a frosty mug of beer or even in a smoke-filled room. No conversations, no give and take, no negotiations. Just coercion and blackmail. Is that any way to run a country? Is that any way to run a relationship with fellow Americans?

Senators, Congressman, President Obama, your lack of care is putting me in a state of anxiety and apprehension.  Do you feel any interest or concern for your fellow citizens? They elected you for the purpose of passing meaningful, negotiated legislation that demonstrates care for all citizens? Do you care more for people or ideology?

Example 3: In these weeks prior to Easter, our senior pastor, Trey Little, is leading our church in reading The Hole in Our Gospel written by Richard Stearns.  As part of that emphasis, a video was presented titled Jamaa.(Click here to view the Jamaa video.) It is based on the true story of two orphans living in Kampala, Uganda, whose parents died of AIDS. Besides excellent acting and stunning cinematography, it is a gut-wrenching story. The film asks the same question to the characters in the story as well as to the viewers.

Do you care enough to let your heart be broken by the plight of these children and hundreds, perhaps thousands, like them? Uganda is on the other side of the world from the US and yet the children represented in Jamaa have been placed in our care as much as if they lived in our very homes. As richly, even extravagantly, blessed residents of the planet Earth, we are to care for them.

How did you do with the Word of the Day? Did you learn anything new about the word “care”? It is a simple word packed with meaning. It is a word that calls thinking, feeling people into action. What do you care about? How will you care today?