The Lord often deals with us in ways we
term as providential. In other words, because of his knowledge
of the future, he anticipates our needs. This is an evidence of
his loving care for his children. What other god, who claims homage,
can make the same boast?
We get paid once a month, which is something
of a bother as we frequently run out of money by the middle of
the month. Major, unanticipated expenses can often be a disaster,
especially if they occur several days before the first of the
month. Such a situation occurred in late October 1998.
We know a very dear couple, Phoebe and Richard,
who live near Chattanooga, Tennessee. We have known them for almost
eighteen years, her daughter married our son, while his mother
rented a house to us. Over the last three years, we have watched,
with increasing dismay, the frightful inroads that were made in
Phoebe’s health by juvenile diabetes. Many years ago, she
lost her sight, then her kidneys, and finally both legs were amputated
because of gangrene. Her health, but not her spirit or confidence
in the Lord, deteriorated rapidly in the last three months. Bedridden,
unable to care for herself, including her basic hygienic needs,
Richard took care of her, enabling her to remain at home, the
desire of most people who know they are dying. His faithfulness
to her will long stand as a testament to the love and care of
our heavenly Father as represented through his love and dedication
for his wife.
Sevilla called her last Sunday, October
18. Her voice was barely audible over the phone. On pain pills,
the gangrene had reestablished itself in her legs, however she
refused further medical treatment, considering her situation to
be hopeless. There are times, in the lives of terminally ill people,
when death is a welcome release from pain and suffering. Being
of a Christian persuasion and knowing that suicide or self-murder
is a sin, she resisted the first intimation that she ought to
take this route to relieve her suffering. Believing her Savior
understood her case, she was content to leave the consequences
with Him.
Over the phone, she spoke to Sevilla and
myself about her desire to meet us around the pearly gates in
heaven. In a quivering voice, she admonished me to take care of
Sevilla, which, of course, I was doing. Her obvious weakened condition
and references to heaven spoke eloquently of her sense of imminent
death. In a conversation with her daughter, the next day, we learned
that Phoebe’s system was shutting down. She could no longer
swallow while her mind was dulled by the pain pills.
When we called the next morning, Richard
told us that she had died in her sleep an hour earlier. When death
occurs, how merciful of the Lord to allow us to fall asleep which
is the Biblical definition of death.
Because of our distance from their home,
lack of money to fly to the funeral and the reluctance of any
of our Christian brothers or sisters to drive us to Chattanooga,
we decided to send flowers, instead. However, coming, as it did
at the end of the month, we were temporarily destitute of financial
resources. In plane English, we were broke.
Anticipating our need to express our condolences
to the living through the socially acceptable customs of flowers,
the Lord providentially opened a way where by we could fulfill
this custom.
My mathematical abilities fall short of
acceptable standards. Even though I have a computer program that
is supposed to balance our check book, it is unfortunately true,
that our personal balance sheet is never balanced at the end of
each cycle. This month, however, the error, which usually favors
the bank, blessed us with an unexpected surplus of $200.00.
Perhaps you might dispute my claim that
this mistake was providential, preferring to call it ineptitude
or incredibly sloppy bookkeeping. I would not dispute your assertion,
however, I would also point out that we were able to express our
condolences in the socially acceptable fashion.
Providence or mistake, the results are the
same.
Praise the Lord.