Time To Go Visitin...
Being a preacher’s granddaughter, I grew up visiting....visiting hospitals, funeral homes, church members, Granddaddy’s workplace at NASA. It’s second nature to me.
One of my sweetest memories was visiting Eileen Halcomb in the hospital just before she passed into eternity many years ago. When I approached her room that day, I found Mrs. Halcomb with her daughter. I didn’t stay long but thanked her for the influence she had in my spiritual journey. Missing many of the details, but what I remember is possibly being bussed to First Baptist at age 14. Ms. Eileen was my Sunday School teacher. She paid my way to go to Point Mallard that summer with the youth.
NOONE EVER FORGETS KINDNESS
So, I thanked her and asked to pray with her. Shortly after she entered the presence of her Maker. Recently, I put my visiting shoes back on just before leaving for Africa when I got word that a friend had been hospitalized for over two weeks and things were going from bad to worse. Ann, a customer from my years of waiting tables at a local diner, was closer to deaths door than any of us even knew but she was blanketed in God’s peace. Ann’s biggest concern was Ali, her granddaughter who was raised by Ann and her recent husband. She didn’t want to leave Ali the way Ali’s mom had. Like with Mrs. Halcomb, we prayed and a few days later I left for Africa.
God had other plans. He used modern medicine to pull the fluid off Ann’s body until her vital signs resumed to close to normal. I found her in rehab after I returned from Africa.
A week and a half ago, after a recent farmer’s market where I set up as a vendor, I took her the gleanings of the market....a half pound of my homemade chicken salad and a fresh pimento cheese sandwich on sourdough bread.
Several days later my hubby and I returned, unplugged her oxygen, plopped her into her wheelchair and got her out of that room she’d been confined to for two weeks. We sat out in the common area (plugged back in❤️) and chatted about life while Marty struggled through the puzzle on a nearby table.
Ann is home now...well...at a friend’s home until God gives her His place for she and Ali. So many people thought Ann was gone, her property was sold and she is now homeless....but she’s blanketed in peace.
It is fairly certain Ann had a near death experience as her body survived the sepsis from pneumonia as every medical caregiver reminds her she should not be here according to the charts.
Anyhow, I went back Wednesday to her current place of temporary residency in the old Russell Erskine with a dear long time friend...our mutual friend Sherry. We sat on the bed, the three of us, and talked about life.
Oh, and I took more goodies...including a huge tomato so she could make a “sink sandwich”... a juicy tomato sandwich with mayo that requires standing over the sink to eat. Jesus modeled “visiting” and it’s our privilege as believers to now follow suit. Whom are you visiting? Believe me, the blessings outweigh the sacrifices. Try it. Ask God to show you whom you are to visit.
