Across the Street, Pt 4

In the last couple of weeks or so there have been some very tender moments between Kathy and I.

After the second time or so of visiting her in her home she came over and knocked a day later and gave me a note folded and sealed with cat stickers. She was a little misty-eyed and just quickly said something along the lines of how nice it was to spend time talking together. She saw me finger the seal and was about to run off and I said "Wait before you go I want to give you a hug." So I tenderly hugged her around the shoulders and then she hurried home.

The note said inside, "Michele, as far as I'm concerned you are the most loving, caring, and patient mom around. Luv, kathy." I just shake my head. She makes me feel so good! I put the note up under a magnet on the fridge. The LORD has given this woman an amazing talent to encourage others with words, what a role model for me. Crazy for me to think that I could do anything remotely as beneficial, for her.

I did however remember to check my closet for a leftover pair of maternity pants now that she is in desperate need for them since her surgery is enduringly so painful. As I did it was like my closet was jumping with fish and out popped a stack of tops and bottoms about two feet high; maternity clothes I didn't even know I had! I was so pleased that God multiplied my intention somehow, so that I could do something good for her, finally. I went over and dropped it off briefly in my usual chipper Christian mode, which is sometimes a little overwhelming for people, and I thought she might have felt that way. I complimented her on her star jasmine growing in the front and mentioned how I had three which I had left uncared for since the baby and they might have all died before I will get to plant them.

She wrote me a thank-you card back that had fresh flowers pressed and fragrant inside and which read "Michele, you already have three star jasmines: Grace, Elizabeth and Elijah." Aww. I am beginning to love this woman! :)

At that point I made the goal that in the future, God-willing, perhaps I could be put in the position where she would feel comfortable if I ask to pray with her.

Roughly a week passed and today she rang the doorbell and said, "Well, this is it. Tomorrow morning I go in for the procedure." At ten AM they are going to try their last hope to fix her enough so that she won't be on a puree diet for the rest of her life... amongst other complications. All these extend from medical malpractice a few months back which even endangered her life on several occasions... and she'll never see justice done for it in a legal sense.

We talked about stuff and she said she was really scared to go back under the knife again, so scared that she's even written good-bye letters for her children. She's so scared she doesn't even want to talk about how scared she is. I wasn't thinking on my feet very well and thought to just say "We've been praying for you often and we'll be praying for you...." She said, "You know, I think I really need that. Neither Clay nor I are very religious. But I have been praying to God every day." She motioned with her arms, raising them up above her head and waved them around, and said, "God, remember me? It's Kathy...".

We small talked some more and another idea popped into my mind. I said, "Another thing I just thought of, if you would like, is I can put you on the prayer list at my church, and it would just be your first name and what will happen tomorrow, that's how they usually do it, not any more detailed than that because they believe that God knows who the person is and what the need is... what do you think?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I'd really like that."

So we're praying for her.