November, 2025 – Florin ‘Gets It’!

I don’t know if you ever watched the early 2000’s TV show, ‘Monk’ starring Tony Shalboub, but I enjoyed the show from time to time.  Shaloub’s character was Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective.  Monk suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder.  But in spite of that – or perhaps because of that, he seemed to always notice clues that no one else around him did -and could solve uncannily any case put before him.  When he was praised for his work and especially for the wonderful gift he had, his response was, “It’s a gift . . .    Aaaand, it’s a curse”.

I can understand that last sentence.  I was born with perfect pitch.  Throughout my life, ‘it truly has been a gift . . .   Aaaand, a curse!’  I worked with a fellow once who moonlighted singing at a restaurant.  One evening my family and I went to ‘his’ fine Italian restaurant to be a support to him – but never again.  My ears actually hurt listening to his lack of intonation.  Everyone else loved him.   My European off-key washing machine plays a little ditty when the cycle is through.  I can barely stand even that.  How can something electronically programmed be ‘off tune’?!

Then there have been all the church choirs, groups, soloists . . .  Oh, my!  If you notice, hardly anyone ever says that they will play the piano/guitar/trumpet, etc. simply because they know they can’t.  But it seems like way too many – so many – think they can sing.  Oh, my!!  Back to Monk.  He used to say, “Here’s the thing” – and he would go on to explain.  Well, for me, ‘here’s the thing’ – why is it that there are so many who can’t figure out what their strengths and their weaknesses are – and be content — go with it.  For me, having been born with perfect pitch has far more often been a curse rather than a blessing.  Oh, my aching ears . . .  !

BUT, Florin ‘gets it’!  Florin is one of my unloved, discarded, thrown-away, abused orphans here in Romania whom I have known for years.  This little mentally challenged fellow is now in his 30’s and still scuffles here and there with his crooked little body.  He is not interested in eating – has to be fed.  He can raise his arm/hand to give me a high-five now and then, and at times will repeat something like ‘widgie, widgie, widgie’.  (??)   Because he is incapable of doing much of anything, he just knows and accepts that he is not with the group of ‘kids’ with whom we meet regularly.

BUT (once again), he knows his strengths and his weaknesses.  He is contented to wait until we are all in the craft room, and he reaches to close the door for us.  When we leave the room, he is waiting there in the dark hallway to reach up and shut the room’s light off.  And he is beyond content and happy to do what HE really can do!  Florin is a JOY for me.  Oh, that those who clamor for attention to be in the front – to be where their talent does not lie – would just be content in serving where the Lord could best use them.  There is a place for all of us.  Like Florin, it doesn’t always have to be front and center!  God, SO has a place for all of us.

Dear Florin – so contented to be just a doorkeeper . . .