INSPIRASUNS

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is talking to our parishioners. I’ve learned so much about so many wonderful people. My days are filled with people stopping in for various reasons, committee meetings, bible study, attending a service, volunteering, and planning a life event like a wedding or funeral. I have the opportunity to learn their stories, to learn about their lives, what they did in “their day”, how they came to our church, you get the idea. Many of the life stories are fascinating, and many are close to home.

Yesterday I was helping a wonderful woman with putting together a slideshow for her husband’s upcoming funeral service. She had brought in photographs, a few albums, and two cell phones. Pictures from various moments in their over 50 years together. She had contacted me a week or so ago and asked if I could help her, she had seen a presentation I’d put together for a friend who had also recently lost her husband. Of course, I said yes, it would be my pleasure to help with this special gift.

You see I didn’t get the chance to know her husband. I had met him only a few times. However, I felt close to both of them because of their situation. Her husband had ALS. If you’ve read this little blog for a long you know that one of my best friends passed away from ALS several years ago. You can learn more about our friendship in this little blog. The connection I felt yesterday with this woman sitting before me, yes it was special.

I asked questions about pictures as I scrolled through phones and albums. “Where was this”, I would ask. She would light up as she told me about that particular event or family member. She talked about his caregivers, and she shared how the men’s groups he was involved with were there every week to lend support. It all sounded so familiar to the situations we went through years ago. I shared with her how my friend had been diagnosed and ultimately passed away from ALS. We talked about the similarities. She shared how they learned of his diagnosis, again very similar to my friend. We connected in a special way.

She asked if I would read the obituary she had written. “Please tell me if it’s too much, if I’ve gone overboard”. As I read about this man I’d never really known, well, let’s just say by the time I was finished I knew who he was. It was easy to put the final pieces together, reading about him and connecting what I read to the pictures I’d just chosen for his slide show. I told her what she had written was not only beautiful, but perfect.

We eventually finished the task at hand, but more importantly, I was able to provide support simply by being there to listen. I made a new friend yesterday, a special friend. I think Father had me there at that time for a reason. Not only was I able to help someone during a difficult time, she was able to help me remember one of the most precious gifts in my life, a dear friend.

You see my friends, it’s easy to give support, it’s easy to help others. Sometimes you just need to be there to listen. When you do, you might just find that the other person, well they are helping you too.

Have a good day my friends, take the opportunity today to meet someone new. You never know the difference you can make in their lives just by being there 🙂 .

1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.