Looking Back....
For real justified reasons, I have had a really hard past week. Last week, as I had mentioned, a family friend past away; just four years earlier, her husband past away. There is not one day that goes by that I do not remember them or think of them. On the day of Lil Searson's viewing, I received another bad news; a client of mine that I have worked with passed away. Granted, of course, I'm not close to this client as I ever was to Mr and Mrs Searson, but still it broke my heart to hear of this client's passing.
Today, we ran into a old family friend of ours from our very first church. I was four when we left Wayne Hills; but I remember Mike B; I remember his kindness and compassion and his high spirits. Today, we reminisced about the times we were all at Wayne Hills; my parents threw out names to Mike to see if any of those people were still at Wayne Hills. Oh, the memories of some of the names I remember. Of course, we couldn't go on the conversation without mentioning one person in particular---a Godly man who was like a grandfather to me; a man who would take time off work just to be at the hospital with me when I had surgery; even when I was a young kid, the doctors and nurses knew how much this man (and his wife) meant to me, that they "broke the rules" and allowed them into the surgery prep area with me, they allowed them to stay as long as they wanted (as long as it kept me content) whenever I was placed in the ICU as a young child. This lasted until I was a teenager....about 16 yrs old or so. This man? His name was Warren Johnson. His wife is Erma. Warren went to be with the Lord over 10 yrs ago. When he died, my heart ached for days; my stomach was in knots. I was so closed to him that the hour he died, something in my body told me something was wrong....and then that fateful phone call, changed everything. I always envisioned him watching me graduate from college and so on and so forth; but God had a different plan for him. He was a sick man with liver disease, the transplant didn't work. He died 7 days after the transplant. All of these memories came back as we talked to Mike B about Warren. Mike would go on about how he remembered me being a little child that no one could touch or hold unless it was Warren or Erma; He said how much Warren loved me as his own grandchild and how much he knew I loved him. He asked me "I bet you really miss him" I said to myself "I've missed him more these days than ever". He didn't question me why I would say that particular thing, but in my mind, Lil's death made me remember back on Cal's death and Warren's death. How I couldn't have asked for better role models in my life. These three people; though they didn't know each other were my heroes. They were always by my side when I was sick or had surgeries. They would find ways to make me laugh and their love to me and my family were overwhelming. I miss them. By God's graciousness, Erma, Warren's wife is still alive and will, though she has her own set of health problems.
I look back at Warren, Cal, and Lil and think of their faithfulness with God and with their church and their love to everyone and especially to God. God has blessed me with so many great people in my life who has ministered to me since I was very very young. Warren knew me when I was born. Cal and Lil knew me since I was about 4 or 5. The Love of God is shown through so many people that God has placed in my life, including my own parents. The Love of God was and will continually be manifested through Warren, Cal, and Lil---this makes me think of how much more abundant is God's love for His Children. All three of them has seem me through many trials and suffering; they no longer will be by my side physically, but always I carry them in my heart. God's presence and love is and always will be by me; what a wonderful and great thing!
----I miss them all greatly, but I rejoice that they are worshiping God and living in the mansion God has prepared for them!
Thank you, Jesus, for sending people into our lives to minister to us and be by our side; thank you for loving us enough to die on the cross so that we may live so that one day we can be in Glory with You and singing praises to You!
Today, we ran into a old family friend of ours from our very first church. I was four when we left Wayne Hills; but I remember Mike B; I remember his kindness and compassion and his high spirits. Today, we reminisced about the times we were all at Wayne Hills; my parents threw out names to Mike to see if any of those people were still at Wayne Hills. Oh, the memories of some of the names I remember. Of course, we couldn't go on the conversation without mentioning one person in particular---a Godly man who was like a grandfather to me; a man who would take time off work just to be at the hospital with me when I had surgery; even when I was a young kid, the doctors and nurses knew how much this man (and his wife) meant to me, that they "broke the rules" and allowed them into the surgery prep area with me, they allowed them to stay as long as they wanted (as long as it kept me content) whenever I was placed in the ICU as a young child. This lasted until I was a teenager....about 16 yrs old or so. This man? His name was Warren Johnson. His wife is Erma. Warren went to be with the Lord over 10 yrs ago. When he died, my heart ached for days; my stomach was in knots. I was so closed to him that the hour he died, something in my body told me something was wrong....and then that fateful phone call, changed everything. I always envisioned him watching me graduate from college and so on and so forth; but God had a different plan for him. He was a sick man with liver disease, the transplant didn't work. He died 7 days after the transplant. All of these memories came back as we talked to Mike B about Warren. Mike would go on about how he remembered me being a little child that no one could touch or hold unless it was Warren or Erma; He said how much Warren loved me as his own grandchild and how much he knew I loved him. He asked me "I bet you really miss him" I said to myself "I've missed him more these days than ever". He didn't question me why I would say that particular thing, but in my mind, Lil's death made me remember back on Cal's death and Warren's death. How I couldn't have asked for better role models in my life. These three people; though they didn't know each other were my heroes. They were always by my side when I was sick or had surgeries. They would find ways to make me laugh and their love to me and my family were overwhelming. I miss them. By God's graciousness, Erma, Warren's wife is still alive and will, though she has her own set of health problems.
I look back at Warren, Cal, and Lil and think of their faithfulness with God and with their church and their love to everyone and especially to God. God has blessed me with so many great people in my life who has ministered to me since I was very very young. Warren knew me when I was born. Cal and Lil knew me since I was about 4 or 5. The Love of God is shown through so many people that God has placed in my life, including my own parents. The Love of God was and will continually be manifested through Warren, Cal, and Lil---this makes me think of how much more abundant is God's love for His Children. All three of them has seem me through many trials and suffering; they no longer will be by my side physically, but always I carry them in my heart. God's presence and love is and always will be by me; what a wonderful and great thing!
----I miss them all greatly, but I rejoice that they are worshiping God and living in the mansion God has prepared for them!
Thank you, Jesus, for sending people into our lives to minister to us and be by our side; thank you for loving us enough to die on the cross so that we may live so that one day we can be in Glory with You and singing praises to You!
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