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I am moved by the reality that, in God’s Kingdom, outcasts find acceptance and a home; the last become first; and the poor’s value is not attributed to their possessions. This week, a team of Kenyans and Americans have joined efforts to give our finest to those who, at best, usually receive leftovers. We have planted a garden full of brilliant colored flowers and indigenous trees and built a walkway for our guests and their families to enjoy. This garden is the view from Kimbilio Hospice’s veranda, which is set to open on January 29th. It is stunning and makes me smile when I think of all it represents. It is a garden of memory and hope. On the pavers, which fill the walkway, the names of our guests will be engraved as a memorial. We will celebrate those who have been restored to life as well as remember those who have moved on from this earth.
Rose’s name will be amongst the names remembered. She recently came to Living Room as fragile and wounded as any guest that we have received. I sat at her bedside on Saturday night as she prepared to leave her broken body. A few days earlier, when she had arrived to the hospice, I had told her that God had not forgotten her. I asked her if she knew that God loved her. She, with much question in her voice, replied: “He loves me?” I said, “Oh, yes.” It humbles me to think that, during Rose’s last days on earth, our team was graced to live out this love. Our actions were the evidence of this reality. On Saturday night, she reached out her hand to hold mine. She was free from pain and fear. I asked her again if she knew how much God loved her. This time there was no question in her voice. She said, “Yes, I know”; and then she paused and told me, “He loves you so much too.” Within a few hours, she drew her final breath. She entered the land where sorrow and shame were no more. She came face-to-face with Love.
Living Room will not forget our lovely Rose. As we finish planting our garden, it is her legacy that will cause others to be reminded, too, that they are loved.
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PO Box 992094, Redding, CA 96099-2094