A Very Trying Week
WEDNESDAY
I got a text from my cousin Jean in South Texas asking me to pray for a fellow classmate from Floresville High School. She said that our friend’s daughter had Covid and had been put into an induced coma to try to combat the effects of the disease. I called our friend Karen on the phone, prayed with her and talked for a good while. Karen had been a Cheerleader in school and I had only seen her once that I can remember in the forty six years since our graduation and that was at our fortieth reunion in 2015. As we talked on the phone it was like the years of almost half a century melted away. I couldn’t help but wondering why it is usually adversity that causes us to re-connect with old friends. But that is how it goes.
THURSDAY
Jean texted me again with very bad news. She told me that Karen’s daughter Malissa had passed away. As soon as I got a chance, I called Karen back to console her. The hardest part was that Malissa had left six children. Two were grown but the other four ranged from teenagers all the way down to a pair of adolescent twins and a precious little toddler-aged girl with Down’s Syndrome who had no idea her world had changed. I was moved that four of the six children were left in the care of family members. For the time being the two oldest siblings and their grandmother had taken on the care of the younger children.
FRIDAY
I got a call from Karen with details about the funeral in case I could come. She told me that because of deaths from Covid, it was hard to find a funeral home in the San Antonio area. She said she had found one on the near west side of San Antonio on Zarzamora Blvd. She also said that Saturday was completely booked up with funerals and the only time she could get for her daughter’s funeral was on Sunday Morning. Visitation was at 9am and the service would be at 11.
Karen said her biggest problem was finding a minister to conduct the service. That was logical since most preachers have a previous engagement they can’t change on Sunday mornings. The problem was compounded by the fact that she was finding it hard to find a minister who would even conduct a Covid funeral. She said they had contacted several people to do it and the only possibility they had was a Church Deacon friend and even he was doubtful he could do it.
I thought about all of the times when we talk to friends after a loss of a loved one, we tell them: “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.” I know that my intention is good and my heart is in the right place when I say that, but I find it seldom, if ever that people take me up on the offer. I only thought about that for a moment. I offered: “I’ll drive down tomorrow (Saturday) and do it.”
Karen was a little taken aback. She said: “How far is Forney from here?”
I said: “It’s almost 300 miles, but if you would let me preach the funeral, I’ll be glad to do it.”
Relieved she said, “I’d love for you to do it, but I would want to compensate you for your time and travel.”
“Nonsense,” I said. “I would be honored if you would let me do it.”
SATURDAY
I packed my suitcase and my gray suit. I hadn’t had time to work on a sermon, but I was relieved to find that the last time I wore my suit was to preach the funeral of a long-time minister and friend Jim McDermot, the son of Lee McDermot who is an insurance man here in Forney and one of my longest friendships. Inside the pocket of my suit coat I found the sermon I had preached at Jim’s funeral…..Problem solved.
Saturday night I checked into my hotel and my brothers Ron and Shawn met me for supper. Shawn spent the night with me and the plan was for him to come home with me to Forney for a couple of weeks.
SUNDAY
Shawn and I drove to the funeral home and I was able to talk with and comfort family members. I also got to visit with my cousin Jean and several of my Floresville, High School Classmates. The funeral was more of a celebration of life in spite of the obvious tragedy of the loss of a daughter and the mother of six kids.
On the way home Shawn and I were able to stop at the home of my Son TJ and his wife Sarah in Jerrell, TX to watch the Cowboys beat the Chargers.
On our last leg home, Shawn and I went through Waco and saw a large electronic billboard in front of Baylor Scott and White Hospital. The message on the sign was one I have to pass along to you. It said: “94 PERCENT OF OUR COVID PATIENTS ON VENTALATORS ARE UNVACCINATED.”
Please, Please, Please, choose to be vaccinated. I don’t want to preach any more Covid funerals and neither does anyone else.
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