Grains of Sand

I meant to call on Sunday. It’s a good thing I didn’t. She wouldn’t have been at home. My friend, Ethel, celebrated her 85th birthday on May 1st. Her church threw her a birthday party and I wanted to call and congratulate her and ask how the party went. Since I didn’t call on Sunday, I decided to call on Monday afternoon. I hesitated, thinking that perhaps my timing wouldn’t be good—she might be having a nap. What was I thinking! After my conversation with Ethel (she wasn’t napping) I thought about yesterday’s post. While some might have sidelined the senior saints, that is not true where Ethel fellowships. Well, I can hardly imagine Ethel ALLOWING anyone to sideline her! If I had called on Sunday, Ethel would have been at church. She spends all day there, first to arrive before Sunday School where she teaches a class and plays the piano for the adult class. She is still engaged in the music ministry in the church, though others, whom she trained, now play for the services. She stays...

Years ago I heard a well-known preacher tell a poignant story about his wife. When he wasn’t traveling he visited her every day in the nursing home where she lived. She didn’t know him—she didn’t know anyone. He remarked that people sometimes asked him why he thought the Lord hadn’t taken her home since she was bedridden and unable to relate to any of the staff or her loved ones. His answer to that question has never left my mind. He said that though she didn’t know him or anyone else, and was unable to leave her bed, there was one thing that she did know and that one thing was, to his mind, why the Lord left her behind in that nursing home. Apparently she constantly repeated, whether there was anyone in the room or not, “Jesus loves me.” Her witness was impeccable until the day the Lord finally took her home. Yesterday the sister of an old friend left a message on my answering machine. I knew that the only reason Rita would call me was to tell me that Erla Jean had passed away. She ...