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There is not much I can tell you about the man I met on Friday. I do not know his credentials, possessions or political views. On the day we met, none of those things mattered. He was terribly sick, in need of a home, and had unexpectedly found his way into our Living Room.
As I sat at his bedside, his words were few. His complaints were none. He explained that three years ago his wife had preceded him in death. It seems that he had waited too long, maybe unaware, to begin treatment. His concern remained for his children. He believed that God would not forget them but regretted that their struggles would be many.
By Saturday afternoon, a mere 24 hours later, he was actively dying. In spite of our efforts, it was not a peaceful, serene setting. It felt painful and grueling to observe. I know that God was with us in the suffering. He was not aloof or unaware. At the end, I clumsily spoke, as another translated, these words of Psalm 23:
The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all of the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
I cannot fully explain what occurred as this man took his final breath. In truth, God only knows what happened in that moment; but something changed within his countenance. He smiled as if he was seeing something, or someone, that I could not. And then the struggle ended. Peace finally came.
Within a single day, this man had gone from being a complete stranger to someone I cared about. His life and death were significant. And I was reminded again of why Living Room exists.
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PO Box 992094, Redding, CA 96099-2094