Faith Hope and Love

Over the years Scotty has introduced us to many people that we are blessed today to call our very dearest friends. Through him we have met so many people that most likely, under different circumstances, we would never have had the opportunity to know.  

 He is without a doubt the best judge of a person’s character I have ever known. He is drawn to certain people like a magnet…it is as if he sees something in them that is not visible to the rest of us. He definitely has a type…good, gentle, kind, loving, understanding, accepting and faithful.  Most importantly, their hearts are open to receive his love and in return love him unconditionally.

 But he doesn’t like everyone… his judgment is immediate and it is final. He offers no second chances.  And we trust him completely…he has never been wrong.   Unfortunately over the years we have met a small handful of people, mostly school “professionals” who he absolutely did not like, and as soon as I met them I knew why…they weren’t his type…or mine.

 I truly believe that God has handpicked just for us the people we needed in our life to help us and guide us on this journey that we are on with Scotty.  Each person has been a marker in the road… a rest stop… a place to take shelter until a storm has passed.  They were there to hold onto us and give us the strength and the courage we needed so we could continue moving forward.   They were all placed in our world at a particular time to teach us, to laugh with us, to cry with us, to hold our hands and to love us…just love us. 

And there are many…so very many.

Today there are two in particular that are on my mind. 

We met them many years ago as we entered our church on a Saturday night. Scotty spotted a lady in a wheelchair wearing crazy socks and he was immediately drawn to her.  I could see it instantly as her eyes lit up and she reached for him. It seemed like she had been waiting just for him. And for the first time I felt it too…I saw what Scotty saw…we all did.  It was the light that was shining in her eyes that was so soft and warm and welcoming.  

So Scotty sat in the chair next to this sweet woman with the light in her eyes who had been waiting just for him, and held her hand throughout the mass. 

 In that moment, Gerry and her husband Bob became two of our very dearest friends.  

Through the last few years we have watched Gerry struggle with the progression of MS and several bouts of cancer. Watching her absorb each new bit of bad news, not with an attitude of Why Me, but with an attitude of Why Not Me, has given us all the strength to fight the good fight each day and to just be thankful for all of it…good and bad. 

She handled it all with a deep abiding faith, the love and care of her husband, her family, and a list of friends that would fill the pages of a very long book.  To Gerry and Bob everyday was a blessing, there was always a reason to be thankful and to remain positive.

 Sadly, last Sunday Gerry left us…she moved on and left us all with tears in our eyes. But through those tears there is much joy and happiness for our dear friend who is no longer in pain….and smiles…lots and lots of smiles full of memories and laughter.  That is exactly how she would want it to be.

And knowing she would most likely kick my ass for sounding so melancholy I am forced to add that this woman of great insight and such a strong faith also had a sense of humor that at times could make a sailor blush.  She loved red wine and was a ruthless card player.  In fact Bob’s smile for us today was picturing Gerry with half of Jesus’ Kingdom because she mercilessly beat him at dominoes.  And I have no doubt he’s right.

So February 19^th, as Bob says, will always be Gerry went to heaven day.  And each day he reminds us to keep smiling because that is what Gerry would have wanted.  So through my tears I am smiling, and so thankful that God placed in our life these two incredible people to love us and to teach us exactly what the words Faith…Hope…and Love really mean.

Now when you ask Scotty where Gerry is he points towards heaven because that is what he has been taught.   I am not sure exactly how much he understands about this place we call heaven.  His eyes brighten up when we talk about it and I think maybe he believes it’s a place like Disneyland with Jesus leading the parade instead of Mickey.  

But he does understand that it is a place where his Grandma and Grandpas went and he can’t see them anymore.  And now Gerry, the sweet lady he met in church one day long ago who always brought him pizza is there too.

And tonight Scotty has one more angel watching over him.

And now these three remain: 

faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13