The events of the past couple of weeks have led to a lot of stories that I'll probably never tell because they are so intensely personal, but I thought I'd share this one with you as a way of saying thanks to the good Lord and thanks to a special friend.
My dad passed away early in the morning on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wednesday my wife and I escaped to Sea World to try and clear our heads, and on Thursday it was back to doing whatever we needed to do to take care of mom and prepare for the memorial services. She had a hair appointment on Thursday and needed me to take her. The salon was near the Mission Viejo Mall, and since I didn't want to sit in a salon for an hour, I dropped her off and headed to the mall to get out of the heat.
My goal was to sit in a comfy chair in the air conditioning and hopefully not run into anyone I knew. I was feeling really emotionally fragile and if anyone so much as smiled at me or said "hi" I'd tear up. I was doing my best to avoid contact with someone I'd have to talk to about my dad.
God had other plans.
I don't think I'd been there more than 3 minutes when I heard a voice say "Hey Rick!". I looked
around and it was Rick Muchow, the Pastor of Worship at Saddleback Church. I've known Rick since 1997 when he first asked me to sing for the Christmas programs, and in the years since have performed with him dozens of times. The photo at left was taken of the two of us following a Christmas concert a few years ago.
He asked the generic "how are you doing?".
"Okay", I said.
"Just okay?" (Apparently I'm a lousy liar.)
He had me. I told him that dad had passed away on Tuesday and I just broke down. I felt like an idiot crying in the mall, but there was no controlling it. He had come to the mall to get something from the Apple store that was right across from where I was sitting and ended up doing some pastoral work.
We talked for a bit and I reminded him who my dad was. Rick had actually prayed for my dad, along with other church pastors, one Saturday night a few months ago in the counting room at church where dad was volunteering. Until our meeting at the mall he hadn't made the connection between the two of us.
After a few minutes I got myself under control again and Rick promised to stop by the tent at church where the funeral would be held.
Rick's has had some family challenges of his own recently. His 19-year old son just had his sixth open heart surgery of his young life thanks to a congenital valve problem, and had suffered a stroke and seizure in the process. Thankfully, he's now on the road to recovery, though it promises to be a long one. Keep them in your prayers.
The funeral was yesterday and it was an wonderful tribute to my dad and his life. The first person to come up and give me a hug after the service was Rick. But he wasn't done.
The graveside service took place in the afternoon a few miles from the church. We hadn't specifically planned any music at the cemetery except for my 85-year old great uncle Gary who had flown in from Kansas City to attend the service. Gary still has a powerful voice and he was to lead the family in "How Great Thou Art" during the brief service.
As we were assembling at the cemetery I looked up and saw Rick Muchow walking across the grounds with his guitar case in hand. We hadn't asked him to come - he came on his own and during the service provided some wonderful music that my dad would have absolutely loved. He did a beautiful solo of "His Eye in on the Sparrow" and led us all in a medley of some of our favorite old hymns. He also accompanied Gary as he led the family. Not bad for a music pastor at a very contemporary church. He'd have made a good Nazarene.
Thank you, Rick. Your contribution of your time and talent yesterday afternoon was a real blessing to my family.
I owe you, buddy.
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8 comments:
Thanks for the great reminder of how God cares for our every need.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
I don't know Pastor Rick, but this man of God has a real pastor's heart. I am thankful that the Lord led him to you in your time of need. Our God does more than we can ask or think, to Him be praise.
I enjoy the personal stuff. More than makes up for the conservative "rants."
:)
I experienced God's little surprises a couple of months after my daughter died.
I was at school and I saw this little girl looking lost, almost ready to cry. I asked her if she needed help and when she indicated yes, I asked if she was in Kindergarten. Again she responded yes.
So, I led her to the kindergarten room and asked her name.
Her first and last name was the same as the first and middle name of my stillborn daughter.
That more than made up for the callous disinterest from our parish priest.
That reminds me of the time after my mother died.
My daughters had grown close to her when she took care of them on the early dismissals and days-off.
After she died, our eldest was particularly distraught.
Then one night she had a dream. My mother walked with her through the halls of school and explained to her why God took her.
When my daughter awoke, she didn't remember the reasons, but she was comforted.
God sent the person that you and the family needed at this time in your life.
Blessings to all,
luxuryoption
A lovely story. Thank you for sharing this.
Best wishes,
Laura
When we lose someone we love, life really gets our attention. When my dad was sick and dying, I found that comfort came in so many small things. On the last night of his life, my daughter saw a huge spider outside in a courtyard area just adjacent to my dad's room. She was pretty excited, and when I saw it so was I. It was indeed a very big and very impressive spider. Our agitation caught the attention of my dad's nurse, and I could hear her down the hall saying "I got to see this."
Then the three of us stood there, looking out the glass, awed by this spider and laughing (in a "I'm glad it's out there and not in here" kind of way). That light-hearted moment with the nurse was so lovely.
My dad was the kind of fellow that loved anything nature had to show. Insects, big spiders, a full moon, a deer darting into the woods -- and that nurse (who my father was far too weak to even have much awareness of) had a personality of the sort that he had always loved. He was such a great one for talking to people and he loved talking especially to lively folks, and she was like that.
That small moment, with my dad sleeping near by during his last night on this earth, captured so much of the vitality of his whole life. It had a gemlike quality I can't really describe.
We all need different things in life. The beauty is that God speaks to us each in our own emotional language.
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