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Every Day is Precious: Can't go to church, church comes visiting
By ROB PAYNE
For Williamson A.M.
It seems like a long time ago, but I remember what Sunday mornings were like before Marcy's diagnosis. Some were easygoing. Some were more hectic than school days. ''I can't find my Bible.'' ''Mom, where are my dress shoes?'' ''You can't wear that to church.'' ''Are there any clean clothes in the laundry room?''
Since Marcy was put on the ventilator, we haven't been to church very often.
When she's feeling well, Marcy does get out some. But with all the procedures needed to get her ready for the day, it is very difficult to get out of the house before 2 p.m. Friends pick up the kids every Sunday morning, so they don't miss anything. But we had resolved to get to church ourselves a recent Sunday.
I woke Marcy early, did many of her morning procedures, and skipped a few to make it on time. I had Marcy dressed, perfumed and ready to lift into her wheelchair. We were going to make it.
That's when the doorbell rang and the dogs started barking. I opened the door and was almost shocked to see Charla. Charla and Allen brought dinner to us every month last year starting with the month they heard of our situation and ending when they moved to Wisconsin eight months ago. We've traded e-mails a couple of times, but I didn't expect her to be in town, much less at our door, much less as we were getting ready for church. She had just ''dropped by'' from OshKosh, Wis. And she had all three of her girls in the car: Grace, 4, Elise 2, and the baby.
Charla said, ''These girls still pray for you every night. When I told them we were coming back to Nashville, they asked if they could see 'Miss Marcy.''' No matter what you have planned for your day, how do you say no to that?
Charla is a teacher of many things. Professionally, she teaches a hospitality course that is so popular Lipscomb has asked her to come back to teach it selected Saturdays this summer. Allen's job had him in Dallas this weekend, so she brought the girls with her.
I'm afraid I wasn't very welcoming to Charla I could learn a lot about hospitality from her I could learn a lot about hospitality from a Turkish prison guard. I am growing, but I often still try to follow my plans even when God has another plan for my day. My thought was ''this visit is going to make us miss church.'' And I think my thoughts showed in my face.
So Charla said they wouldn't stay long. She hurried the kids in and everyone petted all the animals. Charla politely caught us up a little on their life, but quickly asked if Elise could pray for us the prayer she prays every night before they left.
I couldn't hear much of what she said she wasn't talking to us. We were allowed to eavesdrop on a 2-year-old talking directly to God. But I could hear snippets: ''Help Miss Marcy Payne . . . make her safe . . . relieve her burdens.''
I cried. Marcy cried. I think our crying made Charla feel even more awkward and unwelcome she cried and apologized for upsetting us. I tried to explain that we weren't upset, we were touched.
We didn't make it to a building that morning, so Jesus had come to us. There was no altar call, but if there had been a stadium full of people in our house that Sunday morning, no one would have left unsaved.
If you know a family in need and you have kids, ask them to add the needy family to their prayer list. If they know Matthew 18:1-5, the needy family will welcome prayer from a child because it is welcoming Jesus.
Every Day Is Precious is a column to remind us to treat everyone we see today as if it could be the last time we see them. It is written by Rob Payne, whose wife, Marcy, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in August of 2000. For a collection of these columns in book form, more ways to help others, more about Marcy, or to receive e-mail updates on her condition, visit www.EveryDayIsPrecious.com. If you have helped someone without being asked, or know of someone who has, share it with others. Send to rob@everydayisprecious.com or to Every Day Is Precious, 2051 Harvington Drive, Franklin, TN 37069.
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