Two Amazing Servants, Still Here on Earth

In sweet pink is a dear friend of our family's, Loise. She's been an adopted family member since my parents got divorced in the early 70's. Before my dad's awesome wife (Nancy), Loise was his right-hand woman. She helped maintain house keeping chores, until my dad and Nancy moved to Idaho in '92. Even then, she came out to visit them in Idaho and other family events throughout the years - weddings, births, Christmases, 4th of Julys, etc. Loise birthed twelve children, three who are alive today. Her life was spent helping and living for others, so it's difficult for her (she refused to stay in the hospital and to receive hospice care) and for her family to see her this way.

Dave and I drove out to Riverside to see her this afternoon and were also treated with visiting her grandSON. Loise raised Jeremy since he was a precious little baby and is now in his early twenties. Louise is 80 years old.

We showed Louise large pictures of our family, but when my dad, Don, came into her view, her face lit up and her smile grew as big as she had the strength to make it! It was one of Dave and my most precious moments with her. As we showed her family member after family member, she murmured sweet nothings about each one of them. Of course, my brother, "Bradley" as she fondly calls him, is her favorite. As I would share stories and updates of him, she just kept mumbling his name, "Bradley, Bradley, Bradley."

My second most precious memory was when I told her my Dad sends "squeezes". She actually laughed and giggled, then she mumbled, "Oh, did he now?" in her negro dialect. I love that! I went on to name each family member and how they send their squeezes too - whether they did or not. : ) I knew each one would have had I told them I was going to see Louise.

From what Dave and I could tell, Louise is being well cared for. The house and her bedroom (where she spends all her time) smelled and looked real clean. Her grandson spoke respectfully of her, and teared up when he told us how hard it is to see her like this. He's only in his twenties and his mama is dying. (Dave and I commented to each other on how incredibly handsome he is. I'm not sure if it was because of the love in his eyes when he talked about Loise, or if he really was that good-looking. Loise's daughter cleans her up every day, turns her, rubs her down with alcohol, then rubs in cocoa butter all over her body. We know this because we commented on how incredibly soft her skin on her face, arms, and hands are. That's when Jeremy told us some of her daughter, Ludell's, daily routine.

Dave and I prayed with her as she loudly mumbled with amazing strength, "Amen" "Hallelujah" "Praise God" and some other unidentifiable phrases. It was the most we saw her fading, little body move!

After we caressed her some more, kissed her precious face, and tried to stay dry-eyed as we said our farewells, we knew it was the last time we'd see her alive ~ until we meet again in Heaven!

~

Seen in this picture are Shirley (surviving serious heart disease) and Karen, her roommate at the time.

On our two-hour drive home from Loise's, we received a call from another dear friend, Mike, who gave us the update on another servant heart, Karen. Over the course of a week, sweet Karen's misdiagnosed brain tumor, turned to a cyst, which was scheduled for surgery Wednesday afternoon, but Karen went into a coma Wednesday morning, causing her brain to forget to breathe, then her brain activity stopped.

Karen's life was one of serving others. She hated to work, but when she wasn't earning an income so she could pay her bills or give to needy people/families, she was helping others. If she could help, she would, and she did. Karen had a servant's heart and spent her life as a missionary who lived to help others. She saw no other need for life. Even though she was one of the most negative people I know, she was also one of the most giving people I know.

Karen has been living with her mom, so Karen's departure is going to be incredibly difficult for her. Karen's brother is here, but the rest of her family won't arrive until Saturday.

My prayer for the families and friends of both Louise and Karen is for each one of them to be engulfed with the love of Jesus that pours from those who love their loved ones. How anyone gets through times like this without Him is beyond me.

These women will truly be missed.