Three (Unfortunately True) Stories

Our Ladies Bible class have four teams of three or four ladies and each team makes visits once a month to our shut-ins, hospital, nursing homes, etc. The team I am on made our visits after class on Tuesday. We usually have lunch together and then spend most of the afternoon visiting. Sometimes these are enjoyable and uplifting for all of us but yesterday that was not the case. We all came away a little depressed and feeling  helpless.

1. Our first visit was to a lady I have know for 45-50 years. She attended Denton Drive church when we were members there and then she was  a member at Webb Chapel.. She is a beautiful lady then and now. She lived less than a block from the church building and was there every service with her two little boys. Her husband had no use for "religion" and as the boys grew older he would take them to races or other "fun" places on Sundays but my friend was always there. She would look as though she had just had a professional make over and she was fun and vivacious and a good friend. She cleaned houses for extra money and I never heard her complain about one thing. A few years ago she had a stroke and for a while we thought she might recover. But she hasn't and now most likely never will. She is my age and still  can understand when you talk with her and definitely knows who I am. Her eyes light up and she points at me whenever she sees me. You can talk to her but her only response to everything is "aya, aya, aya," etc. She still lives at home and her husband and a neighbor care for her..
2. Our second visit was to a nursing home to see a man from Webb Chapel who also had a stroke a few years ago. We have known him and his sweet wife since we started attending Webb Chapel 29 years ago. His son-in-law spoke at our son's Memorial Service a little over four years ago. His wife stays most of the day at the nursing home but we missed her yesterday. She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever talked with. She is always asking how I am and only then can I get her to talk about her husband's condition. She has been caring for him constantly since he became ill. It is easy to see what it has done to her physical and mental health. He didn't know us and the things he talked about made no sense. It seems such a waste of a wonderful man and a very cute and loving couple. Again they are really close to my age.
3. Our last visit was to a man who lost his wife of over 50 years to cancer. We had visited them three days before she died about two years ago. He cared for her lovingly at home. He had a hospital bed set up in their living room and as far as I could tell very seldom left her side. Before the cancer took her she had also been a beautiful lady and they always sat one section over from us and a couple of pews down. I didn't know them very well, but their daughter-in-law has become a good friend. She has serious health problems also and lost her daughter a few years ago and is raising her grand daughter who is in middle school. The man we visited has been out of the house very little since his wife died. The television set is against the wall with the tv screen facing the wall. He said his great grand daughter comes over every Saturday. She loves music, but has to bring her own music and player because he has nothing in his house that plays music. His house is in a very expensive neighborhood and when we were there before beautifully decorated with lots of very large silk flower arrangements. His hair is unkept and he didn't seem interested in talking about anything. When we left I told him we missed him at church and he said he might be back some day. He was another person who was always there. Did I mention that they he isn't very much older than me.

Yesterday was truly sad and a lesson for all of us. All three of these people's lives changed overnight. I don't know when the thought of living and enjoying one day at a time has meant more to me than it does now.And I realize that there are thousands of these stories all across our nation. The good news for these three is the reward in heaven that is awaiting them. And for them it probably can't come soon enough.