Church callings stretch you beyond old abilities. Eugenia Adele Sullivan, a woman living in a nursing home in our ward, died this week and her funeral was today. Because the bishop was out of town, Dad conducted. He was also called upon to give a talk. It was an interesting situation since although she was LDS, she had married a Catholic man, who exacted a promise from her that all the children would be raised Catholic. She complied. Consequently, now at 88, she has an entire posterity who is Catholic. (Could she have foreseen what far-reaching consequences that promise would have. Decisions you make influence all of your posterity.) Anyway, she wanted an LDS funeral, so there Dad was having to really carry the load today for a woman he hadn't known and a family who wasn't of our faith (except a few cousins.) He did a great job and his talk moved them all. They told him, "Thank you, Pastor Proctor." It was his job to comfort all, to follow right behind the funeral director in the car, leading the funeral procession down the 495, and to represent the Church. He told the story in his talk about our cousin Laraine Facer who was stricken with Ahlzeimer's disease at age 52. She quickly degenerated, not recognizing her husband or anyone, and finally died about three years ago. How it broke all of our hearts. Dad flew out for the funeral and saw his Uncle Keith pull himself away from the group and sit down alone on a couch. Dad went over and asked how he was doing. He gave a most memorable answer. He said, "Scot, I have trusted in the Lord all of my life, and I feel to trust him now."
In that is real security.
We spent the rest of the day putting on the funeral luncheon for people we didn't know and I thought how beautiful it is that we all give service to the unknowns in our lives. How often I have been fed at funeral luncheons by loving hands I may not have noticed. It is the Mormon way. The pioneers planted gardens they'd never harvest from, and built bridges they would never cross, all for the people behind them.
2 comments:
you are so great at finding the blessings in everything. Your post sort of reminded me of the concept "pay it forward." How many times in life are we treated kindly, served, or blessed at the hands of others. Often, as you mentioned, such services go unrecognized because when we are in need, we are not always very perceptive. Funeral food is a perfect expample of this, but I was alwaso thinking of other illustrations of this conept as well. What about my neighbors who took my garbage can back to my house almost every week on garbage day while Jeremy and i were at work, or the lady at the checkout register with a cart load of items letting you go ahead of her so you don't have to wait. Small things with huge impacts. Even if we can't ulogize someone or perform great services like that, I think that we can bless those around us by simply being aware to the needs of others. Hand in hadn with this, is being aware of the service taht is being performed for us. After all, we sure notice the car that cuts us off, or the person walking through the door who doesn't keep it oopen for you... why not look for the good?
I love that our church callings give us the opportunity to serve.
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