1 Thessalonians 5:11New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 Therefore [a]encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
My wife had been complaining of a clunk clunk sound coming from the front end. Decided to bring it over to the NTB tire place. As I waited I struck up a conversation with retired lady in the adjacent leather chair. I asked her if she was getting new tires. She paused before sharing her 'story' She said her husband passed away a week and a day ago and she was having some things checked out on his truck before she sells his truck. She said they still owed taxes on a motor home he bought at the same time as the truck and couldn't afford to keep both.
Then her story proceeded.. He had a transplant and then he was diagnosed with cancer. They proceeded to give him chemo therapy. Just when they thought they had caught the whole cancer he began complaining of pain. He went in and had a scan done. They noticed that the cancer had started spreading and recommended more chemo to attack the cancer cells. The pain still persisted which prompted another scan. They decided to give him an oral chemo medication because of concerns that the alternative would be too strong on his weakened state.
She continued her story and I listened.
Eventually, the doctors saw that the cancer had spread all through his body and didn't know what more they could do. They recommended that she drive him to Rochester Mayo to see if they could do anything for him.
On arrival at Mayo a team of cancer doctors reviewed his file. Much to their chagrin his cat scan didn't arrive at Mayo for 4 days. On the 4th day the Mayo doctors decided to do another scan. To everyone's shock the doctors came to the family and showed them the results. There was one lymph node that had exploded and now there was cancer all through out his body. There was nothing more that could be done. She could either take him home, or they could find a hospice room at Mayo for them. She said when he died they had all of the grandchildren in the room surrounding his bed. It was within days when he suddenly gasp for breath and while clutching to her hand and receiving kisses from his family he slipped away.
I had a sense that I was the first person she had every shared her grief story. It was an honor and a privilege to listen to her story and though the story she begins to heal from the loss.
I learned something else today. There are many people going through similar journeys. Often we aren't aware of them until we ask simple questions and wait for them to respond. Even more important is the reality that we have a loving savior who desires to walk with us on this journey. The lady I talked to knew her husband was in heaven because of what Christ did in their lives.
Next time you are in a waiting room of a automotive place talk to the neighbor next to you. You just never know what they might share.
Oh ya, about that clunk sound. Car needed two tires and a alignment.
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