Delivering Love

 

Al came home from his men’s group one Wednesday morning toting two small potted poinsettias and a large manilla envelope. He explained that we were asked to deliver the poinsettias along with Christmas cards to two church members who were in residential homes.

There had been an announcement the previous Sunday about an ambitious project to deliver the gifts to more than 200 former or current congregants who had recently lost a loved one or who were in assisted living facilities! At that time only about a dozen people had volunteered to help.

            We felt like it was something that we could do together, realizing the loneliness and isolation many of the folks in residential homes experience. Our house was just a few miles from the place where Al’s mom spent her final years. Al and I had visited her there many times prior to her passing away. After moving to Michigan, I often thought of going back to that facility, but never found the time. Delivering poinsettias seemed like a good opportunity to spread God’s love and cheer.

Giving a poinsettia at Christmas has been a long-standing tradition for Al. When he was about twelve years old, perhaps inspired by the beautiful pictures in an annual holiday magazine his family received, he braved the cold and walked to a drugstore downtown (Royal Oak, Michigan) to purchase one for his mom. She was pleased and delighted when he presented it to her.

 Every Christmas after that, he would take her one of the special plants. Even after we were married, he would call from California and arrange for a delivery from a florist that was in her area. And he made sure that I received one too!

The day after Al’s men’s group, we delivered the first of the two poinsettias to a person with whom we were acquainted and who had lost her husband earlier this year. Since she wasn’t feeling well, we didn’t go into her apartment, but left the gift after praying with her.  She was very appreciative of our visit, and expressed the desire to return to church as soon as she was feeling better.

The name of the second person, Bob M., was unfamiliar to us. While Al parked the car, I rang the buzzer and was let inside, where I explained our mission to the young employee. She was the same person I had talked to over the phone earlier, confirming that it would be okay to visit Bob M.

When I reached the nurses’ station, someone pointed to a man who was sitting in a wheelchair in front of the TV, along with another lady.

“That’s Bob M.,” she said.

Thanking her, I walked over to the man, who looked up and smiled. Handing him the card, I explained who we were and that we were from his church. He continued looking at me, smiling, holding the card in shaky hands. I helped him open the envelope, and read the message to him.

            We were interrupted by a nurse who told me that this wasn’t Bob M., but rather Bob C.! Bob M. had left the facility a few months ago! She was going to take the card out of his hand, but I told her to let him keep it. Bob C. was still smiling, seemingly unaware of our conversation.

Just then Al entered the room. After hearing about the mix-up, he responded, “Well, this Bob needs a little love too!”

I asked Bob C. if we could pray for him, and he nodded his head “yes!” That he understood! 

            “Good-bye, Bob,” we said, waving to the sweet man, as we walked out of the room past the embarrassed nurses.

One of them said in a low voice, “Well, I guess that was meant to be!”

“Yes, I think so!” I responded.

We did not deliver the poinsettia to the correct person; however, someone else, another of God’s children, received a Christmas card, a prayer and a little love. And love, especially God’s love, is something we all yearn to receive!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 NIV)

God out of His great love for us, has given the gift of His Son! Thanks be to God!