Molly and Dilbert MacIntosh went downtown last Friday to do a little shopping. They were about to enter the ice cream parlor when they heard their names called. Callie, Abby, Ryan, Laura, and Katie came running down the street. They had driven downtown as soon as they got out of school to buy items for tomorrow’s high school homecoming parade. All of these students had been attending the Saturday night get-together at the Barnwells’ farm, which was always a fun time for everyone, added to by the MacIntoshs great storytelling and humor when they were there. After a warm exchange of hugs, the MacIntoshs offered to treat them all to an ice cream sundae; they didn’t have to ask but once, as everyone went piling into the store.
Abby, the high school senior class president, said the only reason they had to make an ‘extra’ trip downtown was to pick up some items for the parade that Ryan had forgotten, even though they were on his to-do list that was given to him earlier in the week. Katie laughed and said, “Now that Ryan has turned 18 and is getting old, his memory seems to be slipping.”
Abby started to laugh. “What’s tickling your funny bone?” Laura asked. Talking about memory loss made me think how my pastor saw a man he knew stumbling along the side of the road one evening who was acting as if he was lost. The man’s wife attended the pastor’s church. She, along with the pastor, had been praying for him for many years. It was obvious he had been at the tavern only a mile down the road from his house. He was so intoxicated he couldn’t remember where he lived. “When you get as drunk as a skunk you are going to have self-inflicted memory loss,” Abby said. “I don’t think that is funny,” Laura replied. “You are right. Being that drunk isn’t funny, but this part is” Abby replied. Pastor Cain stopped and picked the man up to drive him home. When they got to his house, he asked the pastor to walk him to the door. When the man’s wife opened the door, her husband said “Now before you say a word, look who I’ve been out with all evening before you go getting all upset with me.” Laura laughed along with everyone else.
Molly said “yes we might laugh at that but it also shows how difficult being a pastor in today’s world is both for the pastor AND his family. And speaking of memory, I wonder how many people spend time every week praying for their pastor, or his wife and family. I heard someone sent each of the pastor’s children a thank you note recently, saying how much they appreciated them sharing their parents with the members of the church and community, knowing how hard it is to be the pastor’s kids. They enclosed a little ‘Sercy’ gift for each of them which made them feel special. That act of kindness meant so much to the pastor and his wife; they cried tears of joy!”
Laura spoke, “talking about getting old and losing your memory, my grandmother has a really bad case of Alzheimer’s.” Ryan said, “that isn’t all bad. My great aunt has a bad case of memory loss too. She sent me $25 for my birthday last month, which was on the 5th. This month she sent me another birthday card and $25 on the 5th. He laughed, saying, “You won’t hear me complaining about her memory loss.” Abby said, “It sounds to me like your memory isn’t any better.” “What do you mean by that remark?” Ryan asked. Abby said, “you must have forgotten your great aunt’s address if you didn’t do the right thing and return the money.” Ryan didn’t say another word. Abby said “Ryan, I apologize if I embarrassed you, I didn’t mean to, but you know I’m right.” Ryan looked at Abby and said. “Abby, if you had Proverbs 12:1 in mind which says, ‘He who loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid,’ I thank you for speaking up even if it did embarrass me. Only a true friend would correct me like you just did, Abby. You don’t owe me an apology but I sure owe one to my great aunt.”
It was at this point Dilbert and Molly talked about people they knew of, with severe memory loss, and about the hurt it can cause for family members. Especially for young people when their grandparents, or other loved ones, no longer remember them and seem to withdraw their love, time and attention.
“Callie, are you OK?” Laura asked. Tears were running down her cheeks. The mood of laughter and fun changed quickly. Callie had a deep in thought look on her face. “What is it Callie?” Katie asked, “Tell us.”
Callie told them she had gone to the nursing home with her parents to see her great grandmother the Sunday before last, right after church. She didn’t want to go since her great grandmother hadn’t remembered her, for about three years now. When she asked her parents why they should spend time visiting her since she no longer recognized them. Her parents replied, “Because we still know and love her. She loved us through all of our life’s stormy days as well as the sunny days. She was always there with a kind word, a hug, and never ending love, which we will always remember and love her for.
Callie said, they were about to enter her great grandmother’s room but stopped when they heard someone talking. They thought someone else was in her room but soon discovered she was alone. As they started to listen, Callie quickly hit the record button on her phone recording her great grandmother. “We would love to hear it,” Molly said. They all listened intently to the sweet voice of Callie’s great grandmother. “Oh Father, you are so good. God, Father, thank you Father for everything you have done for me. You are a good God. You are so good. God, Father, I love you, but I still need your help Father, thank You, Lord, Thank You for who You are. Thank You for all You’ve done, I love You Father.”
Callie said, “It was just last Sunday when the pastor’s sermon was from 1 Chronicles 16. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name.” “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him.” “Remember the wondrous works that He has done!” Dilbert said, “It sounds to me like your great grandmother might have forgotten family and friends but she certainly hasn’t forgotten the Lord her God like so many people have, and you can be certain the Lord hasn’t forgotten her.”
There were tears in everyone’s eyes now, at which point Molly MacIntosh said “This makes me think of Romans 8:37-39, which tells us nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You all might look it up before you go to bed tonight.” “We will, I promise” Abby said. “Thanks for the ice cream sundaes and this great time together. We better get back over to the school. Hope you will come and watch the homecoming parade tomorrow. See you Saturday night at the Barnwells’ Farm.”
Even though the names recorded in this story have been changed, what Callie said that her great grandmother said that she recorded is factual.
If you are curious about what a ‘Sercy’ gift mentioned in this story is, you will have to read our ‘A Sercy’ story. Thank you for taking time to be with us today!
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