Marnet and A Conversation with God

It is raining here in Rock Mills right now and I am a bit weepy.  Yesterday I was in Birmingham at Trinity Hospital for my friend Marnet.  She was having a major surgery that was expected to last between 6 - 8 hours.  Gathered in the waiting room was her mom, her sister and brother, her sons, her in-laws, her husband, her ex-husband, Frank and I, her pastor, and a cousin.  We sort of took over the waiting room.  Seeing the doctor come out was a relief....and frightening....he came out at the 6 hour mark and Marnet's sister said if the doctor broke scrubs....things were bad.  I studied him as he walked across the floor and thought I saw a small smile.  He proceeded to tell the family that surgery had gone as well as he expected.  He got the mass....it was hard and self-contained.  He believed it to be cancerous...but they would have the pathology report on Tuesday.  She did fine...was enroute to recovery and would be in ICU in an hour....and would be there until Monday or Tuesday.  Marnet's mom told her sister a strange tale as the surgery was beginning....she said that before Marnet was born....God talked to her and told her she would have another child....this child would be the last to arrive....but the first to go.  What did that mean?  Griefus....she may BE the first to go....but it didn't mean it would be Thursday!  Yet, the devil takes every opportunity to mess with your mind...and he definitely was messing with mine....because all morning long that story played and replayed in my head.  I finally walked outside with Frank and prayed my own prayer....that God would take that thought from my head....and he would continue to watch over my BFF Marnet.  Tuesday when I was in Birmingham for her procedure...she and I had an opportunity to share some alone time when the guys went to eat lunch.  We held each other in her bed and cried.  She told me the "C" word had been tossed into play and she was scared.  I was scared too.  Marnet is my traveling buddy, my confidant, my sounding block, my soulmate.   We have gotten into a lot together....and for a brief moment....I could not comprehend life without her.  I snapped out of that funk quickly...and told her that we still had Bucket List items we had not done...and she was not leaving me.  BTW...her sister told her the same thing.  I love that sister of Marnet's.  She is one spunky lady.  My kind of gal.  After Marnet was out of surgery Frank and I headed home.  We had a two hour drive home and the weather was looking kind of nasty.  I slept hard last night...waiting and sitting are exhausting to me.  I did not even check my emails.  This morning I got up and checked and there was the sweetest story.  I almost wish I had read it last night....but it is always in God's time....so I needed to hear it this morning....and some of you might need it too....and I am going to share it with you.  The story is about a momma and a chair.  It means a lot to me....because my momma talked to God.  She talked to him out loud....in the car....at the house....whereever....if she felt the need to converse with him...she did.   I guess because it always came so natural to my parents.... I talk to God too....when I am going to Alex City every morning....on my hour trek....God and I converse...and yes...I talk to Him
outloud.  So if you ever see me....talking in my car....just know...God and I are together....and enjoying each other's company.  I am not nuts.  The story goes like this:  A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows.. An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit... 'I guess you were expecting me, he said. 'No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up...' 'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head...I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the old woman continued, until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, ' Prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.. 'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'.. 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now...''So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though . If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.' The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mama had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?' he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her . But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?' The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.' ...and you know what?  So do I.  Have a glorious Friday.