Wrapped in Love
"Comfort one another." 1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NASB)
Several groups from my church, including Women's Ministry and our Flower Guild, are partnering together to provide some outreach and encouragement to older members who are shut-ins and can no longer attend church.. The "Growing Together" Sunday School class made a lovely pink fleece blanket that was delivered Tuesday to my 92 year old Mama. It was an extremely generous gesture because #1: Mama was one of the first recipients to receive a blanket from this new ministry and #2: Mama isn't even a member of my church. She is the oldest living, continuous, active member of her own church that she and Daddy joined in 1950.
Tuesday afternoon I went to check on Mama at her memory care facility. She was just finishing lunch when I arrived. We chatted for a minute as she finished her apple cobbler and then I wheeled her back to her room. As we entered the room she asked me to help her into the bathroom. Once she was settled there, I told her that I was going to run down the hall and retrieve the walker that she had left in the dining area, but I would be right back. When I returned, I gently knocked on her bathroom door. There was no answer. Knocking again, I called out to Mama. When there was still no answer, I opened the door to make sure Mama was OK. She wasn't. Instead she was slumped over to her left side, but still sat right where I'd left her. My adrenaline and CPR training kicked in as I shook her and called her name, "Mama! Mama!" Still Mama didn't respond. I ran down the hall and quickly got the charge nurse who kept saying, "She was fine 5 minutes ago."
"I know," I replied, "but she's not fine now!"
The charge nurse began working with Mama and then instructed me to go get the head nurse.
Mama was successfully revived by the nursing staff. While they were working on her, I read the note on the "Growing Together" fleece blanket as I paced and prayed. It read:
"This blanket was made just for you by the women of Briarwood
to bring you comfort
to remind you that you are loved
to share in your joy
and to wrap you when you are cold or hurting
While this season of life may prevent you from attending Briarwood, you are still a part of our covenant community
Made with love by Growing Together Sunday School"
Suddenly I realized that the blanket, though made for Mama, was actually for ME! In those few minutes that separated life and death, that blanket truly wrapped me in God's love, His peace, His presence, His comfort and my covenant community. I experienced remarkable calm in the chaos. No matter the outcome, I knew that God was with us. Ironically, it was only later that I realized that "CALM in the CHAOS" (Acts 27-28) was the title of the Bible study lesson that I was scheduled to teach the next day.
The "Growing Together" blanket continues to be a visible reminder of the Body of Christ and God’s divine design of community, that "reciprocal rootedness," that He commands for all those who are in Christ. Growing Together through the blanket ministry demonstrated several of the New Testament "one another” community commands. Their gift put flesh to the following truths to be lived:
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Love one another (John 15:12)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Mama has recovered from Tuesday's ordeal and thankfully doesn't remember any of it. I, however, will always cherish both the gift and the givers, especially the One who used the very ordinary efforts of faithful Christians to provide an extraordinary reminder that God is always good and I am always loved.