Continued from previous post...
Ted did listen,
and he prayed, and then he told me about Bob Rich, a brother in Christ he knew
who lived in Frederick, MD. Now the thing is that Frederick, MD is about an
hour from Silver Spring, MD, maybe longer depending on traffic – so Ted really
didn’t know if Bob would be up for the drive to see Dad, but Ted would call and
talk to Bob.
So let’s get
this picture; I’ve called two churches which are ten minutes away from Dad and
no one from those churches will come to see him. Ted calls Bob who lives an
hour away from Dad, longer depending on the traffic…and what happens? Well, of
course you know what happens, Bob visits Daddy.
Cindy, I’ve
learned that people of integrity tend to associate with one another; that
people serious about Jesus and the Gospel tend to stick close together,
regardless of their denominational traditions and differences – and I’m not
surprised that Ted and Bob knew each other; why if I needed a contact in Alaska
today I might call Ted…because you just never know…you just never know. If Ted
doesn’t know someone in Alaska, I imagine he knows someone who knows someone
who knows someone…
Within a week or
two of my call with Ted, Dad was telling me about Bob’s visit. What impressed
Daddy was how nice Bob was and how Bob went to the pharmacy to pick up
prescriptions for Dad. Dad couldn’t believe that a stranger would do something
like that for him. Knowing that Bob was going to share Christ with Dad, I am
certain Bob did just that – sharing Jesus in both Word and deed. Daddy was
certainly open to seeing Bob again – he really enjoyed the visit. It was
obvious to me that whatever negative preconceived notions Daddy had of
Christians were dispelled by Bob’s graciousness. Dad also couldn’t believe that
Bob would drive all the way from Frederick to visit him.
However, it soon
became apparent that Dad couldn’t live by himself any longer and so your Uncle
Bill helped him move to an assisted living facility in Manassas, VA, not far
from where Bill and his family lived. At this point my memory fails me as to
chronology and the sequence of events. We continued to talk on the phone but I
don’t think I saw Dad again until 1999. I do recall a conversation we had as
graduation from seminary neared, I remember the conversation because he told me
that he was proud of me – that is the only time I ever heard those words from
my father and I am thankful he told me.
As graduation
approached, and your Dad and Uncle Bill were making plans to attend, my Dad
told me that he’d like to come but couldn’t make the trip – that was sweet to
hear.
Around May or
June 1999 Vickie and I were visiting Richmond and on our return to Mass we
stopped in Manassas to visit Dad. We picked him up from his apartment in the assisted
living center and took him to a restaurant for lunch. It was the first time
that he, Vickie, and I had ever been together without other people around us –
it was, of course, also the last time. It was also pleasant, so very very
pleasant. A sweet memory for us.
A couple of
months later I got the call from your Uncle Bill, Dad had experienced a massive
stroke. I drove to Virgnia at once and met Bill at the hospital. Dad was in
pretty bad shape with extensive paralysis. The doctor, much to our
consternation, wanted to stop feeding Daddy – we couldn’t believe what we were
hearing and refused to agree to it.
I had some time
with just Dad and me. He couldn’t speak but he could make sounds, and we could
look into each other’s eyes. He could nod his head. I talked to him about
Jesus, about Jesus’s love for him, about forgiveness of sins – and throughout
this Daddy was locked into me and nodding in recognition of what I was saying
and responding with sounds to my questions and affirmations. I am convinced
that without the faithfulness of Ted Tussey and Bob Rich that Daddy and I would
not have had the many phone conversations we had leading up to this time in the
hospital, nor would we have had this sacred time in the hospital.
When I walked to
the car in the hospital parking lot I knew that Daddy was dying and I
desperately wanted someone who knew Jesus deeply to be with him during however
many days or weeks he had left – but I didn’t know anyone in Manassas, VA. What
to do?
As I wept for my
Dad, I cried out to God to lead me to someone in a place where I knew not a
single person. I drove out of the parking lot weeping and praying, asking God
to guide me. I drove down one road, then down another, then (I suppose, I can’t
really remember) down another. I was driving down a street when I saw a church
belonging to an obscure (to me) Presbyterian group. I parked at a door, walked
into the building, and there were a man and a woman in an office.
Through my
tears, for I was still weeping, I told them why I was there. The man, who was
the pastor (the woman was his wife), asked me to come with him and took me back
to his office. Now here is where the most bizarre thing happened, he wanted to
talk theology.
You see, I was
wearing a knit shirt with my seminary’s logo on it; having noticed it he wanted
to talk theology. I couldn’t believe it! I was still crying and talking about
my Dad and this guy wants to talk theology. I started wondering whether I was
in the right place. I asked the Lord if I was in the right place. Should I
leave and go elsewhere? This was crazy.
But then he
finally said, “I’ve got the perfect man to visit your father. He is a
recovering alcoholic, and he is a faithful brother in Christ.” (The pastor had,
after all, been listening to me!). The man’s name was John Sheldon.
Cindy, a few
weeks later, when your grandfather died and Vickie and I returned to Virginia
for the funeral, we met John Sheldon. Every day John visited Daddy, reading the
Bible to him and praying with him…every day. John told me, “Your Daddy knew
Jesus.”
Three faithful
men; Ted Tussey, Bob Rich, John Sheldon. Three faithful men who were faithful
to Christ and faithful to others – whose faithfulness God used in Christ to
bring your grandfather to know Him.
I preached my
Dad’s funeral – there are some things you just don’t let strangers do. The text
was the story about two sons (Matthew 21:28 – 31). It’s the way we finish that
matters. As I wrote above, sometimes God only needs the blink of an eye to
restore what we have lost.
Ted Tussey, Bob
Rich, John Shelton – three faithful men…serving our Faithful God.
Cindy, I am so
thankful that you know our Lord Jesus and I hope this testimony of His
faithfulness, and the faithfulness of these three men, encourages you and your
dear family.
I love you!
Uncle Lou
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