BUT GOD KNOWS

I got to thinking about the many people who I have had the honor of sharing space with on this planet. Especially those who, knowing or unknowing, who left their mark on my mind and my heart.

I began wondering about these fellow travelers, how they are doing, were they happy, peaceful, content. Gosh, how many them were still alive? One former co-worker from years gone by lost his wife this year. Another friend's wife is scheduled for surgery Friday in a bid to survive colon cancer. Sadly, it had been years since I last took a moment to send them a note, letting them know that I cared.

Recently I was heading to a meeting in Milton, Florida and I passed by a man standing and supporting himself against a bridge railing off to the right hand side. Instantly, I had this overwhelming demand that I had to go back and make contact with that man at the bridge. Traffic was heavy and I was not too thrilled to be attempting a u-turn on this busy two lane road. Well, that is exactly what I did. The Holy Spirit was directing me to check on that man at the bridge.

Two u-turns later I was parking off the roadway about a hundred feet from the man leaning on the rail. As I approached the fellow, we made eye contact and I asked him if he was ok. He sighed, and said “No, I am not ok.” Before I could muster another word, he began sobbing and bobbing his head up and down, through his tears he cried, “ I lost my boy in a house fire, and my daughter is in the burn center trying to stay alive”.

I took off my ball cap and sunglasses and dropped them to the ground. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I asked him about what had happened. He tearfully explained that his 13 year old son and 11 year old daughter were burned when their house caught on fire this past Thursday. That the girl had been flown to a burn center and that they did not know if she would survive or not. His son had perished.

We grabbed a-hold of each other and we prayed, and prayed hard for God to extend His mercy and healing grace for his daughter and this father, this dad who was undergoing the greatest pain any parent can experience. He and I shared our hearts with each other, and the hand of God arranged the meeting. I never asked the man his name. We parted without introduction. I may never see him again. But God knows.

On Memorial day in 2013, my church held a beautiful and moving memorial tribute to the fallen. The culmination of which was the “Empty Chair Soliloquy” delivered by one of our Elders. Maybe it was the music, the words, the ceremony, or my own memories of fellow soldiers who never came home. What ever it was I exploded in a uncontrolled fit of weeping, wailing, snot-nosing that seemed not to end. Someone, I know not who, came up from the pew behind me and simply placed a warm hand on my shoulder and deposited a box of tissue in my lap. That hand at that moment from that person I did not know was one of the greatest gifts I can recall ever receiving.

Knowing that I was not alone, that there was understanding, a bond, a caring warmth, oh my, how very healing that was. For that short moment in time, all my heartache was being shared by another individual, a brother, a friend, a hand that had been moved by the Grace of Almighty God to share comfort and support. To this day, I have no idea who that person was. But God knows.