The news wasn\u2019t good. \u201cNeighbor Bob just got home from three weeks in the hospital. If you want to see him, you better visit soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Our hay supplier\u2019s words echoed in my ears. Ugh. I\u2019d stayed away through the COVID-19 time because Bob was fighting cancer, a battle he\u2019d been waging for five years. I\u2019d known Bob for the twenty years we\u2019d lived in our valley, but I wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d learned to read the man well. I sometimes brought him cookies or sweet bread, and we traded stories about area wildlife or neighborhood drama. I shared about my children\u2019s escapades. And sometimes we ventured into the craziness of the world, dipping our toes in the waters of politics and skirting around the issue of faith.<\/p>\n
When his cancer diagnosis was made, I felt an urgency to share Christ with Bob, but in a gentle way. I was ever mindful of the signs posted on his front door. Is There Life After Death? Trespass and You\u2019ll Find Out. No soliciting.<\/em> Leave your religion at the door and I\u2019ll leave my shotgun in the closet.<\/em> Imprinted on my brain, these signs added to my uncertainty.<\/p>\n Bob\u2019s immediate decision was to not have chemotherapy. His adult children worked to persuade him, but he wouldn\u2019t listen.<\/p>\n I decided to try. I shared the story of my then twelve-year-old son who\u2019d been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I explained that the chemo and radiation were hard and scary, but Justin found faith, and God walked with him through those times. \u201cIf chemotherapy gives you more time with your loved ones, it\u2019s worth it.\u201d I added, \u201cIf my twelve-year-old son can do this, you can too.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if my words were a turning point, but chemotherapy bought him five more years.<\/p>\n Now we were at another turn in the road. I wrestled with God as to how I could share Christ with Bob while there was still time. I woke in the night, tossing and turning and thinking through the exact words, the scripture verses, and the way I would share so it would flow together.<\/p>\n The weight of the responsibility was heavy. \u201cWhat if I mess up the words, and Bob hardens his heart? Lord, this should be a gift to give, but I\u2019m full of worry. Please take away my anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n In the quiet, His Spirit spoke. This isn\u2019t all on your shoulders. Don\u2019t you think I\u2019ve had others speak into his life? Don\u2019t worry about what you will or won\u2019t say. Just go visit him, love him, and be a good neighbor.<\/em> God\u2019s peace settled over me as the burden lifted.<\/p>\n The next day I was tied up with canning pear sauce and couldn\u2019t get away to visit Bob, though I wanted to. Again, the Lord gave me His peace about the timing of my visit.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, I tried to think of a gift I could bring him. Chocolate bars were a favorite, but that and anything else I considered didn\u2019t seem right. Finally, I realized the answer was right in front of me: a jar of my pear sauce.<\/p>\n The following day, I went to town for an appointment. On the way home, I stopped at Bob\u2019s house, a little apprehensive because he had two visitors already. I decided to try anyway. I could at least drop off the pear sauce.<\/p>\n His son, Bobby, answered the door. His eyes brightened when he saw me, and he was pleased by the gift. \u201cDad\u2019s not eating much, and it\u2019s difficult to find something he likes.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lord knew that, but I hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cDad had a rough time yesterday, but he just woke from a long nap. I think he\u2019d enjoy a visit.\u201d So my visit wouldn\u2019t have worked out yesterday. Once again, God\u2019s timing was perfect.<\/p>\n Bobby showed me in. My eyes adjusted to the darkened room, illuminated only by the light reflected from a nearly wall-size flat screen television. Bobby turned the volume down and rejoined his friend in another room, giving Bob and me a chance to visit in private.<\/p>\n My neighbor lay in a reclined hospital bed, with pillows propping him up as he watched the news. I looked past the machines connected to Bob\u2019s thin body and took in his failing state. His gaze met mine and his eyes lit up. He was pleased to see me.<\/p>\n I noticed then Bob was wearing a cross necklace. My heartbeat quickened. Was this God\u2019s sign for me to speak? Patience.<\/em> We talked about his hospital stay and his cancer, his children and mine, and the state of the world. He was happily engaged in our conversation, and we visited for over an hour.<\/p>\n \u201cBob, do you ever read the Bible?\u201d \u2018\u201cLet not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father\u2019s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.\u2019 Thomas said to Him, \u2018Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?\u2019 Jesus said to him, \u2018I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Bob\u2019s eyes lit up as I recited the verses. Suddenly empowered, I repeated, \u201cLet not your heart be troubled. He knows we\u2019ll have worry and be anxious, but He is preparing to meet us when it\u2019s time to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n I took Bob\u2019s hand and squeezed it, our gaze meeting with an understanding I\u2019d never witnessed before. When I offered to pray for him, Bob eagerly accepted. \u201cDear Father, I ask for You to strengthen Bob for this journey. I pray You\u2019ll relieve his pain and help keep his eyes focused on You. Be with him and prepare him to meet You, just as we all must prepare to meet You one day. Thank You for being with us through everything.\u201d<\/p>\n With tears in his eyes, Bob thanked me while squeezing my hand. Yes, God had prepared Bob for his homecoming, through others as well as me, working in ways I couldn\u2019t have known.<\/p>\n \u201cWould it be all right if I come visit again?\u201d And yet, those years weren\u2019t a loss. I realized the days of simple conversations had been a crescendo to the most important discussions we were having now. And when Bob finally passed, God\u2019s gift to me was the assurance in my heart that without a doubt, my neighbor was in the arms of Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The news wasn\u2019t good. \u201cNeighbor Bob just got home from three weeks in the hospital. If you want to see him, you better visit soon.\u201d Our hay supplier\u2019s words echoed in my ears. Ugh. I\u2019d stayed away through the COVID-19 time because Bob was fighting cancer, a battle he\u2019d been waging for five years. I\u2019d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1574,"featured_media":28231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37,1996],"tags":[1384,912,76,250,2328,160],"yoast_head":"\nSharing a story<\/h2>\n
Sharing a gift<\/h2>\n
Sharing Scripture<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cYes. I have two different ones.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you familiar with John 14?\u201d
\n\u201cNo, hon.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite passages.\u201d
\nHe wanted to hear it, so I plunged in and recited the passage for him.<\/p>\nSharing prayer and time<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cPlease. Anytime, hon.\u201d
\nAnd so, I did. Several times. We got to know one another in a way we hadn\u2019t in the past twenty years.<\/p>\n