My husband grew fruit trees and he grew tomatoes and the two would exchange their produce. We used to joke that we were going to set up a fruit/veggie stand.
We talked about a lot of things. We talked about the fact that he was a Michigan Blue fan. He knew J. was a pastor. We talked about church. He used to attend a church years ago. (He grew up here.) We invited him to church. He shared a Christmas-lights timer with us. Once, he even gave us a cup of salt when I was low. He was just a nice guy.
About 3 weeks ago, he went to the hospital in pain and found out that he had cancer in his colon. We knew something was wrong when there was a bunch of cars at his house. That was not Doug. He lived alone and not many people came by. (He liked it like that.) We heard about it later; we were told that the doctors said he had 2-3 years.
One day, when my son came running upstairs to tell me that there was a fire truck in front of our house and an ambulance that took Doug to the hospital, I knew it couldn't be good.
J. went to see him and prayed with him. However, because of the presence of other people in the room, he wasn't able to have any serious gospel conversations with him.
Of course, we thought we still had more time, but we didn't. He died only 3 days later.
On the day we found out, "A" was in a talkative mood and wanted to talk about Mr. Doug. (He had been praying for Mr. Doug, because he knew he was sick.) Every time he heard a fire truck he would say, "is that Mr. Doug in the ambulance?" Then he asked if Daddy had gone to see Mr. Doug again in the hospital. He just wanted to know where Mr. Doug was.
Every question kicked me in the gut until I had to just go remove myself and weep
....because I had no clue where my neighbor was.
This is a bitter lesson to swallow. Doug could very well be in heaven, but, all the same, he might not be. I don't know, because I thought we had time to talk about that. God loves us but He is also a righteous God. He judges our sin and if we do not have a Savior, then we are lost...forever.
What would you do differently, if you knew that your neighbor had only 1 week left? - Rejoicing in the Present
We talked about a lot of things. We talked about the fact that he was a Michigan Blue fan. He knew J. was a pastor. We talked about church. He used to attend a church years ago. (He grew up here.) We invited him to church. He shared a Christmas-lights timer with us. Once, he even gave us a cup of salt when I was low. He was just a nice guy.
About 3 weeks ago, he went to the hospital in pain and found out that he had cancer in his colon. We knew something was wrong when there was a bunch of cars at his house. That was not Doug. He lived alone and not many people came by. (He liked it like that.) We heard about it later; we were told that the doctors said he had 2-3 years.
One day, when my son came running upstairs to tell me that there was a fire truck in front of our house and an ambulance that took Doug to the hospital, I knew it couldn't be good.
J. went to see him and prayed with him. However, because of the presence of other people in the room, he wasn't able to have any serious gospel conversations with him.
Of course, we thought we still had more time, but we didn't. He died only 3 days later.
On the day we found out, "A" was in a talkative mood and wanted to talk about Mr. Doug. (He had been praying for Mr. Doug, because he knew he was sick.) Every time he heard a fire truck he would say, "is that Mr. Doug in the ambulance?" Then he asked if Daddy had gone to see Mr. Doug again in the hospital. He just wanted to know where Mr. Doug was.
Every question kicked me in the gut until I had to just go remove myself and weep
....because I had no clue where my neighbor was.
This is a bitter lesson to swallow. Doug could very well be in heaven, but, all the same, he might not be. I don't know, because I thought we had time to talk about that. God loves us but He is also a righteous God. He judges our sin and if we do not have a Savior, then we are lost...forever.
What would you do differently, if you knew that your neighbor had only 1 week left? - Rejoicing in the Present
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