Short Stories

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IT IS FRIDAY JUNE 13TH, IN THE YEAR 2003. I AM AN ELDER CAREGIVER, IT IS MY CALLING, AND I AM ON MY WAY TO A LOCAL NURSING HOME, WHERE A DEAR FRIEND AND CLIENT OF MINE IS NOW LIVING...

EACH TIME I GO TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FRIEND, I ALWAYS BRING MY BIBLE. AFTER LUNCH, WHEN SHE AND HER ROOMMATE HAVE SETTLED INTO THEIR BEDS FOR AN AFTERNOON NAP, I CLOSE THE BLINDS, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND BEGIN TO READ FROM GOD'S WORD. THIS IS ALWAYS A SOLEMN, PRECIOUS MOMENT, BUT ON THIS DAY EVENTS WOULD OCCUR TO LEAVE AN EVERLASTING IMPACT ON MY HEART, MY MIND AND MY SOUL...

MY FRIEND AND I HAVE BEEN IN A SILLY MOOD THIS DAY, AND SHE IS LAYING BACK IN HER BED, EYES CLOSED AS I BEGIN TO READ FROM THE BOOK OF DANIEL. NOW, I KNOW THAT READING GOD'S WORD IS ALWAYS COMFORTING, GIVING ME PEACE AND DIRECTION IN TIMES WHEN ALL THINGS SEEM TO GO ARRAY. BUT I HAVE JUST ONE PROBLEM, TO BE VERY HONEST, SOME OF THE NAMES IN THE BIBLE I CAN'T PRONOUNCE TO SAVE MY LIFE, AND MY FRIEND KNOWS THIS. I USUALLY MAKE MY BEST ATTEMPT TO SPEAK THEM CORRECTLY, BUT THIS DAY I JUST CANNOT EVEN DO THAT...

AS I AM READING IN DANIEL, I NOW HAVE COME ACROSS SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO, AND BECOME SO FLUSTERED TRYING TO SAY THEIR NAMES, THAT FINALLY I JUST SAY, "AND ALL THOSE GUYS", WHENEVER THEY APPEAR. AND AS I CONTINUE TO READ MY FRIEND IS LYING IN BED TRYING TO HOLD BACK FROM LAUGHING. SHE KNOW'S HOW TO PRONOUNCE THEIR NAMES, BUT IS HOLDING OUT ON ME. AS I CONTINUE READING, WE HAVE MADE A MUTUAL DECISION, IN THAT WHENEVER THEIR NAMES MUST BE SAID, I CUE HER AND SHE SAYS THEM. BUT OUR SILLINESS DOESN'T END THERE, AS WE ARE LAUGHING THROUGH ALL THIS, NOW I HAVE COME ACROSS A PART WHICH INVOLVES DIFFERENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND I CAN'T SAY THOSE EITHER. SO, ONCE AGAIN, WHEN THESE NAMES APPEAR, I JUST SAY "AND ALL THAT STUFF". I REMEMBER SAYING TO MY FRIEND, "COULDN'T YOU JUST SEE ME PREACHING ON NATIONAL TELEVISION, AND SAYING "ALL THOSE GUYS OR ALL THAT STUFF"? NOT REALLY PROFESSIONAL, BUT SHE AND I ARE IN THE MOMENT, AND OUR SILLINESS SEEMS TO BE TAKING OVER...

THEN, AS I AM READING, I HEAR FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE DISTANCE A PATIENT CALLING FOR HELP, SO NOW AS I AM READING, I THROW IN A "HELP" EVERY NOW AND THEN, AND WE'D LAUGH LIKE FOOLS. BUT THE NONSENSE DOESN'T END THERE, BECAUSE NOW I ALSO HEAR A PATIENT CALLING FOR A NURSE, AND AS I CONTINUE TO READ, I THROW IN A "NURSE" EVERY SO OFTEN, JUST TO MAKE THINGS REALLY INSANE...

MY FRIEND NEVER WANTED TO LIVE OR DIE IN A NURSING HOME, BUT TRAGICALLY THERE CAME A POINT IN HER LIFE WHEN SHE COULD NO LONGER REMAIN IN HER HOUSE. AND I HAVE BEEN AT THE NURSING HOME SO OFTEN, THAT WHENEVER SOMEONE IS IN NEED OF HELP, I AM UP AND ON MY WAY TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN BE DONE, AND WHO CAN RENDER THE NECESSARY AID...

THE LORD, IN HIS OWN WAY AND TIMING, CHOSE THE MOMENT WHEN BECOMING A CAREGIVER TO THE ELDERLY WOULD BECOME NOT JUST MY LIFE'S WORK, BUT ALSO, OPENING UP MY HEART TO WORKING WITH AND LOVING EACH MOMENT, OF ALL THE ELDERLY CLIENTS I HAVE THE PRIVELEGE TO COME TO KNOW AND SERVE. AND I KNOW, THAT IT MAY SEEM ALMOST CRUEL TO LAUGH AT THE ADVERSITY OF SOMEONE ELSES PAIN OR DISCOMFORT, BUT THIS DAY, MY FRIEND AND I ARE JUST IN THE MOMENT...

I CONTINUE READING, UNTIL SHE FALLS ASLEEP, AND TURNING OUT THE LIGHT I KISS HER GOOD-BYE AND WHISPER "I WILL SEE YOU SOON", THEN LEAVE. I HAVE TO TAKE A BUS TO GET TO AND FROM THE NURSING HOME, AND AS THE BUS IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, I TURN AROUND AND LOOK BACK WONDERING IF I HAD GONE TO FAR, IF I HAD CROSSED THE LINE...

I CAN FEEL A GREAT SADNESS IN MY HEART AS I AM RIDING ALONG, AND OPENING UP MY BIBLE, IT OPENS TO PROVERBS AND PROVERB 14:13 SEEMS TO JUST JUMP OUT AT ME. "EVEN IN LAUGHTER THE HEART MAY ACHE, AND JOY MAY END IN GRIEF". AS I LOOK UP FROM MY BIBLE AND OUT THE WINDOW, TEARS ARE STREAMING FROM MY EYES, AND I KNOW THAT THE LORD HAS SPOKEN TO ME. FOR THAT MOMENT, WHEN SHE AND I WERE TOGETHER, IN THE MIDST OF SO MUCH SADNESS, IT WAS ALRIGHT TO LAUGH...

"THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, AND A SEASON FOR EVERY ACTIVITY UNDER HEAVEN: A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH". ECCLESIASTES 3:4

MARCH 1ST, 2009
COPYRIGHT/ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CATHERINE ANN JONES

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