Saturday, June 25, 2011

HE CHOSE ME

Many years ago a call came into our office. A patient needed to be evaluated, and I drew the "short straw" that morning.
I needed to meet with the lady at her house and decide if we could help her, or if we needed to call another agency.
Her caregiver greeted me at the door and led me through the house. The lady was in a hospital bed in a room which had been converted from a two car garage to a bedroom.
As I walked into the room, I was overwhelmed by the flowers. I had never seen, nor to this day have I seen that many flowers in a room other than a flower shop. There were at least two or maybe three hundred vases of fresh flowers and potted plants. Each vase had it's own little card wishing her well.
As I sat to do the intake, I thought this would be the easiest case I had ever done. With that many friends who love her I was sure, at that moment I would have no trouble recruiting help.
As we talked the smile on her face disappeared and tears erupted. It seemed she had been an only child, and both her parents were dead. She lost her husband six months before and they were never able to have children.
I reached for her hand when I realized she just needed me to listen.
When I first walked into her room and saw all the flowers, and what I thought was an outpouring of love I did feel a twinge of jealousy. So many people love her.
As the weeks went on, I learned a horrible secret. She was sending the flowers to herself.
It seemed strange to me at the time, that I was the one from our agency who "had to go" that morning.
But later, I knew exactly why HE chose me.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you

4 comments:

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Oh my. How sad is that. She felt the need to be surrounded by flowers, yet knew in her heart they were a lie. That breaks my heart. I hope she learned in the end that self-love comes first from God. God willing, she then learned to love others. I hope everything turned out okay.

Blessings to you, Katt.

Karen Lange said...

What a blessing that you were able to spend a little time with her. We never know what a listening ear and kind word will minister. Thanks for sharing, Katt.

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Joy,
It's strange that her memory has stuck with me all these years. I'm not sure she ever did learn that lesson---I tried to show her---:D

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Karen,
Thanks for "stopping by"!
You never know when God will give us "an assignment"---
Hugs
Katt