Missing Person Alert at Church

Every Wednesday night at church for dinner I looked forward to getting my meal and sitting down with Albert. He and I have eaten dinner together for the past year and enjoyed fellowship and getting caught up with each other on the activities of our week. Albert was a school teacher for 51 years and was retired but still substituted at the high school. I always arrived at 5pm when dinner started and Albert would already be there eating. As I got my meal and joined him I would always ask where he substituted that day. It was fun hearing the classroom stories and how his week was going. He informed me one Wednesday he was having open heart surgery and would be missing dinner for a while. Albert had the surgery and I visited him after and he was doing well. The surgery seemed a success. After a few days he went to rehab and things seemed good there too. Suddenly I received word he was back in ER with some complications and the next thing I know he was gone. Albert passed away on Dec 20, 2013. Now my friend and meal companion was gone.

Every Wednesday at 4pm I would leave my office after a crazy long day and go to the church kitchen to get a glass of tea before dinner. I would visit with the kitchen staff and Naomi, our Food Service Director, would be there with the volunteers. We joked and laughed and talked about a variety of topics. Naomi was there at church just about every day even though she was a part time employee. Serving was her life and spiritual gift for sure. Just about every event we did would involve food and so that meant Naomi was there helping.  We ministered together. I got a call on Friday, my day off, on Jan 2^nd from the Waco police that they were there at Naomi’s home and that she had passed away in the night totally unexpected. I was shocked! My wife and I made the visit right away to her home and met with family. This made no sense!

I attended Albert’s memorial service and learned many new things about my friend Albert that I had never heard. Many testimonies from the school and students gave me new insights into Albert’s life that I wished I had known. I spoke at Naomi’s memorial service being her supervisor I wanted to be a part of her service. While visiting with the family the night before I learned so many great things about Naomi I wished I had known.

I have come to realize that a funeral or memorial service is not the best place to learn about a person’s life accomplishments, joys, likes, and personal history. I found myself thinking in my mind that I wished I had spent more time with Albert and Naomi getting to know them and their life. That was the message I got from each service. Yes we celebrated their lives but I could have known them better if I would have taken the time. I have known Albert and Naomi for over six years. Naomi and I worked together, yet I really never took the time to really get to know her. I wish I would have! Both Albert and Naomi were amazing people had I known them better I believe our time here on earth would have been even better.

My Wednesday nights at church will not be the same for a long time!

Here is the real lesson to learn from all this! Take the time to get to know those around you while they are still alive. Celebrate life together, pray with each other, and listen to their story. Everyone has a story to tell! Make time to hear their story! Share YOUR story!  Don’t wait until they are gone and then wish you had known something about them. Learn it now and have fun with it!

Comments?  Discussion?

Luijarick