Sweet Spirit

About 27 months ago Virginia and I walked into baggage claim at Oakland airport. We gathered our luggage and looked for the couple who were there to pick us up for our exploration weekend with the Eastside church. It didn't take us long to find each other, and thus began our friendship with Bruce and Sandy and Bruce's mom and dad, Carl and Betty.

Tonight we joined several others from church at Lone Tree Convalescent Center to gather around Betty's bed and sing to her and with Carl... to sing old favorite hymns, some of which Carl and Betty have been singing since before I was born. Betty's health, due to multi-systems atrophy, has declined dramatically in the last year, and she may not live to the end of the week. How very special that makes the memory we now have of her mouthing the words along with us as we sang,

Angry words, O let them never

From the tongue unbridled slip

Let the heart's best impulse ever

Check them 'er they soil the lip.

Flat on her back... in a nursing home... probably her final home on this earth, Betty ministered to each of us as we all sang her favorite song. She never went to seminary... probably wouldn't be considered a biblical scholar... but her lovely and caring heart, her concern for others, her gentle nature, her love for others have been breaths of fresh air in a fellowship where being right used to always trump "the heart's best impulse." Thank you, Betty, for allowing Jesus to shape who you are. Thank you Carl and Bruce and Sandy for sharing tonight with us.