Boy Did I See Him

…the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  John 20:20
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​The week following Easter we read about the Apostles seeing Jesus and not recognizing him, but when they finally did, oh how they rejoiced.  It’s funny to me that I can be just like them…he can be working right in the center of my life, and I can be too busy or too stubborn to notice him.  A month ago, we rushed home to be with my dad, and I had a long car ride to pray about the hospice decisions and events that lay ahead and my prayer again and again was, “Lord, let me see you!  Keep my eyes open because I know you’ll guide us through everything.”  I didn’t pray this because I doubted HIM, I prayed it because I didn’t want to get tangled up in my grief and worry and miss his work.  To say that he was fancy is a magnificent understatement and seeing him made me rejoice!  It’s taken a few weeks to pull this together, but I’d like to share just a few ways he made his love so easy to see!
*I saw the Lord as I had the chance to talk with dad, tell him what a great dad he was and how much I loved him on the Tuesday night we arrived in Kansas, by Wednesday he was no longer coherent.
*My Uncle Art was the voice of God’s peace and strength as he walked me through all the important things to know in the final days.  He has been a Hospice volunteer for decades and I will be forever grateful for his love, support and guidance.  His best advice, get a priest to anoint him and offer the Final Blessing as soon as you can because he can still hear and the prayers are so beautiful.
*Following that phone call, I called the priest who was away for the day but then, a nurse came in and told us she knew another priest she could call.  In rural NE Kansas this was no small thing, but God really got fancy because not only did he send a priest very quickly, but this priest happened to be a very dear friend of my dad’s.  Fr. William brought the Lord’s grace, humor and love and dad knew he was there.  Dad reached for Fr. Williams hand as he said goodbye and blessed him for his journey home…he knew!
*We saw him organize detail after detail. The Hospice house we wanted was full but had a bed open on the day we needed it. Every nurse, doctor and therapist who had worked with dad during his several stays at the tiny hospital came to say goodbye and shared stories about his faith, humor and strength. The Lord let me see the ways my dad lived the Gospel as visitor after visitor came to share the story of how his life had touched theirs and say goodbye.
*As his death grew closer, my daughter texted me that it was almost time to celebrate Grandpas 4th Birthday and I was enormously comforted by that reminder of Mother Olga’s teaching at the beginning of Lent…shortly after that text, someone brought cookies to the room and I thought…look at that, a birthday treat!
*On the morning dad died I was sitting in the quiet room with him typing his obituary and I typed the words, “he died surrounded by family” and I closed my laptop and said, “Lord please make that true!”  Shortly before he died, his two brothers, his sister and his sister-in law came to join us and a room full of family surrounded him and watched and prayed as his body was draped proudly in an American flag and he left the building.
*Dave and I led the Rosary at the Wake, and I wanted to pray joyfully and gratefully in front of that packed funeral chapel and not cry so God sent my grandbabies to sit in the front row and their whispers and wiggles and giggles reminded me that life has beautiful bookends.
*I saw his comfort as I looked behind us on the 35-mile drive from the church to the cemetery and saw more than a mile of cars following in the procession and then I saw him truly work a loaves and fishes event at the funeral luncheon.  I had guessed maybe 100 people would join us, but we exceeded that number greatly, yet the food never ran out. After that meal as I sat with cousins and aunts and uncles from many different states and laughed and cried about the family with us and the family cheering us home, I felt his comfort.
* In the days that followed as we cleaned out the house, there were people who stopped by to help, a friend who just happened to have a dumpster delivered, folks who brought food and neighbors who stopped to share stories, laughter and tears.  And his kindness and compassion are still showing up as people send cards and texts and prayers.
 
I saw him at every turn, and I rejoice that he has shown so much love and compassion.  I’m so very grateful one simple prayer and one mighty Father allowed my eyes to see His Glory instead of my grief.
 
A Seed To Plant:  In his funeral homily Fr. William said the biggest thing my dad taught him was that Life is meant to be lived for others. Perhaps we can all give that some thought and prayer, it sure served Mike McClaskey and all the lives he touched very well!