My pastor from my youth is very bad in ICU of Baptist Hospital. Yesterday I went to see him--he has staph among other things--so I dressed in gown and gloves--sanitizing before and after visit--I peeked in and there was no one there--I had been there earlier in the morning and one of his daughters was there but he was all alone. I found out later that I had walked right by another of his daughters in the lobby downstairs. Her son had come and brought the grandchildren with him so she was taking a break to go see them.
Anyway, I know it worked out that way for a reason. As I sat there and talked to him (he had been totally unresponsive when I was there earlier--he is on a ventilator and they were keeping him sedated because of the discomfort), he started trying to open his eyes and I knew he was hearing me.
I should have taken my own Bible but did not think of it. I searched all the drawers and could not find a Gideon Bible. I think that is the first time in my life that I have looked for a Gideon Bible in a hospital room and not found one. The Gideons are an incredible organization. How I appreciate them. I finally got a nurse to go hunt one down for me and while I know Bro. B loves the King James, I thought I wasn't going to get through all those Psalms with the "thees and thous and sheweths"--I had to stop and untwist my tongue several times.
I sang one of the songs that he used to sing from the pulpit when I was little. He usually left the singing to his wife and daughters but every once in a while he would belt out, "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands." So, I sang that to him.
What a blessing! What a joy. He read the scriptures to me when I was a young girl--over a half-century later, I am getting to return the favor. What an awesome privilege. God orchestrates the symphonies of our lives with such precision. I tell Him all the time how smart He is. He amazes me.
Anyway, Debbie, I don't think you were reading my blog when I wrote this post about him so if you get a chance, you might want to get to know him a little better. He is a jewel.
Oh, and by the way, I hope you don't care if others read this also. I just felt like addressing it to you after your sweet comment the other day.
Your blog is one of the highlights of my day. My very favorites post of yours is the one where you and your sister and maybe your mom ( I can't remember for sure ) take silverware, dishes, centerpieces, napkins, tablecloths, chairs, table, and so much more out in the middle of a cotton field and set up the most gorgeous table I've ever seen.
I guess that was special to me because I grew up listening to my father tell about planting, chopping and harvesting cotton. His dad was a sharecropper.
I absolutely love all of your posts but my second favorite one is about you being afraid of the dark. And you referring to yourself as "the baby of the family." It was so amusing and I laughed aloud with tears splashing down my cheeks. All my life, I have struggled with fears of all kinds so I could easily relate to that post. I'm going to hop back over and reread your "shopping posts." I didn't get to spend as much time soaking all that up as I would have liked.
Well, this turned out to be more than a short note but I wanted you to know I was thinking about you and how much I loved your sweet comment.
Hope your day is blessed.
Love,
Dianne
P.S. Would you please say a prayer for me? On Tuesday I will be going to Renewal Ranch to tutor three of the guys who are feeling a little overwhelmed with the course work in light of their reading abilities. Please pray that God will open their minds to learn and the Bible, as well as other books, will come alive for them. Well, I guess I really want you to mainly say a prayer for them--C, W, and P. But I do want to be a blessing to them and hopefully to motivate and encourage them. Thank you.
This was Debbie's comment from the other day.
*Just beautiful. Your thoughts remind me of exactly how I feel when I visit old churches. The comments about the bell reminded me of the little brown church of my own childhood. In fact, several blogs recently have reminded me of it. I feel as if I want to put my heart into words, but as yet, I can't. Loved this. And can I say that your whole blog is just "pretty" these days? I like reading the script. It feels like you have written me a letter.
You can access Debbie's blog here.
