Love One Another - The Same

While David and I were away at the state convention this week, there were two deaths connected to our church family. Mike McGinnis' father died - both Mike and his wife, Pat, sing in the choir I direct. another woman in the church lost her adult son in a fire, a tragedy we learned about only upon our return from Greensboro.

The McGinnis funeral home visitation was packed. We stood in line for nearly 50 minutes before we ever reached the doorway of the room where the family was located. If Pat had not come out and seen us and insisted we come on to the front of the line, I'm not sure how long it would have taken. It was apparent this man was well loved and that his family was well loved.

David went to see the woman who lost her son on Thursday while I was in class. She was home alone.

The McGinnis funeral service on Friday was over flowing with friends and family members wishing to show their respects. The speaker was full of praise for this man and his family and their dedication to God and his plan for their lives. It was a beautiful time of worship and the crowd was a testimony to the love the McGinnis family expresses and receives.

The kitchen staff of the church was prepared and waiting for the end of the service to offer this family a bountiful feast to further show their love and respect to the man who had just been
laid to rest and for his family.

We left the funeral, stopped by Food Lion to pick up some chicken and off we headed to the home of the woman who had lost her son in the fire.

This woman, a widow, had just buried her only child who died in a house fire.

We drove in the yard of the grieving mother to find ...... NO ONE. There were NO visitors to help console this lady, NO ONE bringing food, NO ONE there to wrap their arms around her to tell her how sorry they were for her loss, NO ONE. I was heart-broken. Not only because there was no one there to support here but because I didn't want to go either.

After following David up the broken steps and down the wooden walkway covered by some resemblance of AstroTurf that obviously was there to cover the rotten boards, we entered this home.

She lives in a single-wide mobile home with a floor that feels like it will give away any minute. Her furnishings are far less than anything you would find in a thrift store. The inside is dirty and scattered from here to yonder. There are cats climbing all over the counters, the stove, over dishes, etc. And, it stinks. Get the picture? It's terrible.

She was sitting alone, in this place she calls home, surrounded only by her animals. The "mother" in me wanted so badly to start picking up and straightening and washing and wiping, but my heart said to stop and listen to this heart-broken mother who had just lost her son.

Is there a difference in these two church members who had lost close family members? Then why was one family so surrounded and the other not?

A van full of church members drove 40 miles to a funeral home to visit and show respect to one family. I did not hear of a van full of folks going to the home to visit the other. There were church members who drove 40 miles again to attend an elaborate military funeral for one family, but I would be interested to know how many church members drove 5 miles to attend the small and simple graveside service for the other.

I don't know who went to the other because I was not one of them. I could try and justify my actions in that the son and daughter-in-law who lost their father are members of the choir and the other lady is a member who shows up once in a blue moon, but that doesn't make it right and it certainly doesn't make me feel better.

I hear the words ringing in my ears, "...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" and "...whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Matt. 25:40 & 45).

The McGinnis family will move forward and survive. They are a close knit family and will be able to lean on each other. The woman who lost her son will survive, too, but maybe she will need someone to help her through it and someone to be there to lean on. Maybe that someone is me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, all.