It's Okay to Go.

Notes from Wesley Meadows - Part two of a two-part series.

I have come to believe that indeed my life has been one in two parts. The first part are the years, or days or hours where I think I am in control. The more I think I am in control, the more chaotic life happens. It is at my point of surrender- the second part- of letting go and letting God, when I come to the oasis of peace in a dessert of bedlam. Now, the wilderness places are fewer and farther between as my relationship with our Creator grows.

I had the wonderful blessing just a couple days ago to be a present and supportive witness as a sweet soul made her final surrender into the eternal arms of the Maker. (See:Part 1 Notes from Wesley Meadows.) I have never been in this position before of sober mind. I was humbled to have been invited into a place, an inner sanctum if you will, of pure grace.

The journey began with a phone call from my sweet friend fiancé Patti. Her mother Pat’s health and condition was in steep decline. Patti, being a week out of a rotator cuff surgery required arm sling, did not need to be driving solo for six hours. I became her partner for the sojourn. From the moment we hit the road in the driving rain, a lingering question echoed in my mind, “How long?” And a lingering answer kept following it, “Not for you to know!” Still my need for control forced me into possible future chain of event scenarios. Again, I had to surrender and turn it over to Abba. It will be according to His will. It was in this place of the obedient present moment where I would experience educative wonders in the everlasting.

Wesley Meadows

Toward the end of our first afternoon with Miss Pat I was invited to read to her. Patti gave me her copy of “Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson. It was bookmarked at a section titled: Relinquishing Fear with a heading “Perfect love casts out fear.” It is a direct reference to one of my favorite pieces of scripture, 1 John 4:18-19. I began reading to Miss Pat. I knew she could hear me.

It has occurred to me, there were times when Miss Pat appeared to be struggling, perhaps in pain, perhaps in the decision to let go and leave her loved ones in this world. On occasion a nurse would bring a small dose of pain medicine. I had a feeling that she was stuck in a should I stay, or should I go dilemma. But what do I know? I have never been in this place before! After a very long day we said goodnight to this lovely Christian lady born and raised in Texas.

When we arrived at Wesley Meadows on Wednesday we found Miss Pat’s room had been rearranged. Her bed which had been flush to the far wall was now protruding from the wall. This way the family in the room could gather around her. The hospice folks at this facility knew what they were doing. I took it as a sign. I was able to take a different position when I read to Miss Pat this time. I chose to read from “The Greatest Thing in the World” by Henry Drummond. It is a wonderful treatise on Paul’s 1 Corinthian’s 13.

During our time with Miss Pat there were instances when she would make verbal proclamations. Two times stand out for me. Once we heard her say something that sounded like, “I got to get out of here.” I could only imagine her beloved husband Bob, Cindy and Patti’s father, standing just beyond the precipice hands outstretched. Another time we heard Pat exclaim, “Oh Shit!” Her outcry transformed a somewhat somber mood into a realm of heavenly humor. Family remarked it was an expression seldom heard. For me these words carried completely to my heart. My late mother Jeanne was very fond of this expression. So fond, she had it printed on a golf ball she used exclusively for putting. I could very well see Mom, a coaxing angel on the other side of the threshold, calling out to Miss Pat.

The sun was approaching a golden Mississippi sunset and I was anxious for Miss Pat. My perception was that she was struggling to let go. Just in the past two weeks I was involved in a discussion with my good friend Chuck whose mother was in a similar circumstance. I had asked him what he thought about the idea of saying to her it was okay for her to go. He said he had been thinking of doing the same. I decided to call my friend and found a quiet breezeway with some rocking chairs. In our conversation, he said to me that the family along with their Pastor had told their mom it was okay. Immediately after Chuck and I ended our conversation, Patti came to sit next to me. She and Cindy had decided to stay overnight with their mom. Patti, as well, let me know that Miss Pat's girls had let their Mom know it was okay.

I did not plan to stay but went out to pick up dinner. When I returned, Elizabeth was in the room with Patti and Cindy. Multi-generational agape love was once again flowing there. We began eating our dinner. Suddenly, the room became quiet except for the whoosh of the oxygen system. The three women, in unison, gently and softly moved to Miss Pat’s bedside. Patti was up on the left caressing her mother’s forehead. Elizabeth was kneeling waist high, also on the left holding “Grandmommie’s” hand. Cindy was on the right-side shoulder high caressing her Mom’s hair. I do not know how long. Time stood still. All I know is it is the most beautiful scene I have ever witnessed. I am assured Miss Pat knew it was okay, smiling ear to ear as she walked into the arms of Bob Young and our heavenly Father.

Miss Pat's Obituary

Amen Sisters

Bradford Bosworth
March 9, 2018

Find Your Gifts

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

(7th in a series)

Haiti Missionaries

1^st Peter 4:10

Jeannette and Ryan Karstensen

It is a monumental responsibility to lead a mission trip to a foreign land. The people who will be the recipients of your charitable efforts will most likely gain a lifelong impression from the team’s comportment. If there is a language barrier, then our demeanor and body language speaks for our faith. On this Haiti Mission trip, there are eight folks from three different Churches with two on their very first excursion. The bottom line is “God has given us some special abilities,” and it is up to us to make them blend and become faithful stewards of God’s Grace in all its forms.

Our repasts together, breaking bread, are always a time to coalesce once again. Tuesday our team was having lunch together and I presented them with Jeanette and Ryan’s scripture passage from 1 Peter. We went around the table and each member of the body reflected on how the Word spoke to them. I took notes as they shared. The Holy Spirit translated as follows:

The mission becomes our great commission when the true goal is “to make disciples of all nations,” (Matt. 28:19).  As the “Body of Christ,” each one of us is a single chapter in Yahweh’s epic novel of grace titled “Humankind.” The mission now becomes a gifted quilt made of individual scraps, throwaway fabric that now stitched together warms each soul it comforts. Our unique gifts manifested become a tapestry of colors woven into Abba’s glorious creation of Love in His Son Christ Jesus.

Often it is through our willingness to serve and at the point of our Christian action where we begin to discern what are the gifts we have received from our heavenly Father. Surely for us to keep and maintain those gifts we must give them away.

Father, may we always remember your precious gift of grace can never be earned and we will always be engulfed by it as we give it away. Amen

Bradford Bosworth

Humbled in Haiti

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Haiti

Matthew 20:25-28 & Philippians 2:5-8

Brenda and Warren Taylor

In preparing for this reflection, the (NKJV) phrase, “But Jesus called them to himself” (v25), struck me.  This calling is not the type that screams, “Hey y’all, get over here.” No, it is the Way of Christ, a drawing to, a charismatic attraction, the magnetism same as the humble carpenter walking along the sea of Galilee beckoning to a few fishermen, “Come follow me.” Paul describes it this way in his letter to the church at Philippi, “Who being in very nature God” (V6, NIV). When we are called this way, we stop what we are doing. We “drop our nets.”

Our team left today for Haiti on a medical mission. Being the first time for me, I can only go by what I have heard from those who have gone before and before me. Do we already have the same mindset as Christ? Well, for me, I believe it is a lifelong quest.  When I listen to how our servant team describes their experience of past Haiti mission trips, I can imagine they came by their “same mindset as Christ” or a glimpse of that same mindset as a byproduct of the willingness of their servant’s heart. Does our humility come before the act of service? More, I believe, it comes from the very humble nature of those served: God’s children who inhabit this devastatingly poor and destitute area; a people hungering for the breath of the Holy Spirit to whisk them away if not just for a few affectionate, attention filled moments.  Indeed, it is these moments that humble our servant team and allow us to adopt, if only for an instant, the same mindset of Christ.

By the way, today’s gospel scripture repeats in Mark 10:42-44, which gives this truth lesson in humility a double shot of importance.  We have it on good accord that Mark was basing this journal of Jesus’s teachings on Peter’s own eyewitness account.

Yahweh, soften our hearts today, opening the windows of our soul and let the Holy Spirit whisk in a bit of Lord Jesus’ humility. Amen

Bradford Bosworth