A note to 'Lizbeth *

'Lizbeth* died this morning about 8:30 am. And Mr. M and I have no doubt she saw the face of the God she so dearly loved as soon as she passed beyond this world's gates.

I only met her - for the first and last time- Friday a week ago.

She had just been given a diagnosis of terminal cancer and put into hospice care.

Mr. M told me about her the day he first met her. She signed up for a visit, and he had gone into her room to meet her for the first time. 'Lizbeth was laying in bed - and she told Mr. M she was just too tired to talk. So Mr. M told her she did not need to talk, just listen. And he read her some passages from the Bible.

'Lizbeth* perked right up, and they did have a little chat.

Very shortly thereafter she got her diagnosis.

Mr M noticed that there were no cards or flowers in her room and nothing to show that family was looking after her.

So, he went to the hospital gift shop and bought her this very sweet giant fabric flower. It had a happy face in the center, different colored petals all around and must have been 30 inches from flower to stem end.

That night Mr. M was still concerned about her, so he cut a boquet and we went off to deliver flowers. That was when I met 'Lizbeth*.

She was laying in the hospital bed clutching the giant flower. She was of course very ill, and her body was just barely holding on to her spirit.

And yet, that spirit was trancendent and radient. She was thrilled with the flowers and company. She talked about how good and gracious God was to her, and how she loved him. She spoke of how GRATEFUL she was to God. Mr. M had told her we were adopting, and she asked if we would bring JJ to visit once we had her home. And of course we agreed, although we knew it would be too late when we had JJ to be able to visit.

It was a short visit - it was late and she was tired. I looked back to see this little frail woman with the skin so thin on her that it looked like translucent china laying in that bed still holding her fabric flower.

Mr M looked in on her often, but she slipped into semi consciousness shortly after we saw her.

He does know that the last words she said was a statement of how much she loved God.

So now she is gone. And it does not seem any one will hold memorial for her. Obviously, there is a bigger story that we won't know until we see her again and can ask her about it.

But she was a dear lady with a sweet sweet heart. And it grieves my heart that there seems to be no one to mark her absence.

So this little note is to 'Lizbeth*.

'Lizbeth* dear, when I saw you so sick and still praising your God with your last breaths all I could think was I had the opportunity see my Lord though you. I did not know you long, but in our short meeting you touched me and blessed me deeply.

It was my honor to know you. I will tell JJ about you and your sweet grateful spirit.

Till we meet again dear lady.

In Matthew (25:35) Jesus says -

For I was ... sick and you visited me. And the rightous answered and said, "Lord, when did we see you ...sick and come to you?"

And the King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine. . .you did it for me."

'Lizbeth* was a child of the King, and we were honored to be able to visit her and see this verse in action.
*We changed her name in this post for privacy reasons . . .God knows her name.