We had visitors in church this morning, which we often do, so I made sure to greet them as they came in the door, A bit later, Maureen, pastor’s wife, asked if I could visit with them when the service was over, because they were looking at guidance with a cognitively impaired family member. I wandered over to them once more, introduced myself, and told them where I’d be sitting so they knew where to find me.
It turns out they are from Virginia, and in town for just two days. I asked if I could meet with them, along with their family member at the AirBnb they were staying at, so as to discuss things in a more private setting, and assess what level of impairment we were talking about. They wholeheartedly agreed.
Their AirBnb was just across from the church, so close by. The meeting with their family member went very well, and much information was provided and options presented. As I left, the gentleman who had attended church that morning walked me out. He turned to me and asked, “Are you familiar with the Road to Emmaus?”
I nodded. He then went on and said, “This was totally it. I feel like the Lord has been walking with us this day.”
He became emotional and began to weep. I gave him a side embrace and told him I understood how difficult this was for families. Especially families trying to navigate end of life from a distance.
He said, “No, it’s more than that. This whole thing was orchestrated by the Lord.” He then went on to say, “I don’t like pie. My sister asks me to go have pie all the time. So I finally told her I’d go eat pie with her if she’d go to church with me.” (Apparently, she was a nonbeliever, which I had no idea of when I met her just this morning! And she even commented on how much she enjoyed the worship service!)
“There are three churches in Florence,” he continued “The Baptist Church starts at 9 AM. Your church starts at 10 AM. The Community Church starts at 11 AM. I knew 9 o’clock was too early for her. And 11 o’clock was too late. So we went to your church. And here we are now. “
He gave me another hug, while he thanked me again. He then asked if he could take my picture. I stepped back and smiled while he snapped a shot. When he was done, I said, “May I take one of you and I together? I want to Blog about this serendipitous moment.”
He agreed.
I will miss these newfound friends, as they will return to Virginia on Tuesday, but I am hoping their loved ones, who live nearby, will consider the options presented to them today, and allow me to help navigate the path along this end-of-life journey. 💕
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