May 8, 2014:  After Scott moved to heaven and while I was still living in Goshen, I received an email message from the church I had attended with Scott and had continued to attend after his death, about an elderly lady in the church who had just recently lost her husband. Her daughter, who lived out of town, had called the church concerned about her mother because she was not doing well with the loss and the daughter wanted someone to check on her mom. That same day I bought a card and wrote her mother a message including my phone number. She called me when she got the card and I arranged to visit her at her home. We started going out to dinner once a week. She lived alone and needed to talk about her loss and her husband. I understood that need. She was a delightful little lady and I enjoyed her company. This continued for a while until circumstances changed and then I was making arrangements to move. I contacted her after I settled in Knoxville to update her and she wrote me back.

I learned on the Facebook page of the church in Goshen that this lady had moved to heaven in January. I was surprised and sad to hear this and hoped that she had not suffered before her death. Yesterday I received a card from her daughter. She had found my name and address in her mother’s belongings and wanted to tell me about her mom. She thanked me for my friendship with her mom and shared some sweet things her mother had told her about me. She wrote a lengthy message and enclosed her phone number. I called her last night and we talked about her mom’s death and her own grief over this loss. We cried some and laughed a little, and I prayed for her before we got off the phone, particularly with Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday. She told me if I ever get back to Northern Indiana to please contact her so we could meet. I plan to do that when I visit Goshen.

Many times we do not see the effect of the gift of our time or affection or kind words, but occasionally we do, and I am so thankful that God sent me this blessing. I have reread the card many times–just thrills my heart that this woman took the time to write. I told the daughter to call me anytime she needed to talk to someone and that I would continue to keep her in my prayers. She has faith and that is what is carrying her through. I am reminded once again that our lives are like threads and God is the master weaver. What a picture we will see someday !