The Story of Judy and Our God who Cares about the Details!

(I copied the beginning of this post from Mom's Caring Bridge website...this is long but please read the entire post) 

It's "Minnesota Monday, I'm back in Edina. Mom is doing great. We had lunch and went for a walk outside and then...Mom wanted to visit a friend. She has a 97 year old friend named Judy who is dying. Mom has been friends with her for years, she was friends with her sister before her sister died. Judy has never been married. Has no family...and Mom, while healing, has her mind on Judy. Getting flowers to Judy and visiting her. Focus on others, never herse

Yep, that's my Mom. We went and visited Judy. Mom prayed for her. Mom sang to her. Judy knew her..she was struggling to talk but finally did say to me "Your mother is the best. Mary Lou". And she's right...

We sat with Judy. Mom on one side, me on the other holding her hands. Smiling at her through tears. Reassuring her it was okay to let go. There is beauty in dying. I felt privileged to visit Judy today. And more honored to be my Mom's daughter than anything...

Continuing the story....

I came home and felt sad that Judy was dying alone.  That while nurses checked in on her, she was still alone.  While she had a roommate, the screens were pulled and her roommate didn't know her, or really care.  I was so so sad.  I wrote a quick blurb on Facebook when we got back home.  "Visited a 97 year old woman today who is dying and alone...no one should due alone.  No one. "...and within about 10 minutes a high school friend offered to visit Judy on Tuesday, another friend from Des Moines who now lives in Mpls said she would go at 8:00 that night, another friend would stop on Wednesday.  ...the beautiful side of Facebook. 

Dad and I stopped back to see Judy around 8:30 pm. She was peacefully sleeping. I held her hand for a bit.  Studied her pretty painted nails and her wrinkled hands for awhile.  Prayed silently for her, I couldn't get words out.  I would NOT be a good hospice nurse.  But I was so happy she was resting so well.  I moved the table they had next to her bed, it seemed like she could fall and hit her head on it.  Pulled her left hand back onto the bed, it had fallen off.  It didn't look comfortable to me.  I kissed her soft sweet cheek and Dad and I left. 

Around 9:15 pm, after we got home, I got a text from a friend from home, a neighbor down the street, Jill.  Jill's sister lived in Mpls and was studying to be a hospice chaplain.  She wondered if it would be okay for Jennifer to go and meet Judy and pray with her.  I said of course...she asked when would be best, I said whenever she would like to go.  I received a note from Jennifer at 10:36, "Going to see Judy, live close, don't want to wait.  I will visit her every day until she goes to heaven."....I went to bed....grateful.

In the morning there was a note from Jennifer time stamped at 11:30 pm "Are you still up?"...and nope I hadn't been.  The phone then rang at Mom's....it was Judy's power of attorney calling to tell Mom Judy had gone to heaven at 11:00 pm.  I got chills...as Mom hung up the phone I said to Mom..."you are never going to believe this....Jennifer texted me at 10:36 going to see Judy, and again at 11:30 to see if I was up.  I BET she was with Judy when she died".  Neither one of us could believe it?  Had God REALLY provided that for Judy?  for Mom?  for Me?  Did HE really use this stranger to all of us, who has a heart for those dying to be there with Judy as she entered the gates of heaven?  Seriously?  Did God really do what we think HE just did?  And guess what...after connecting with Jill, and Jennifer...HE did just that.  Jennifer was with Judy when she died.  She was able to share that Judy died peacefully.  She was there praying for her as she died and stayed and prayed over her body after she died.  

There are NO coincidences....God knew.  He knew that I would be in MN, He knew that Mom would want to see Judy and say goodbye, He knew that Facebook could be used as a positive tool, He knew that this woman with a passion for Hospice would be there with her when she died.  He knew and He cared....I will NEVER forgot His faithfulness on that day.  Ever.  

My sweet friend Ruth, a cancer survivor herself,  told me when Mom was first diagnosed with cancer, to watch for the miracles.  She told me to keep track of them.   That during this cancer journey God would make me acutely aware of miracles, and would reveal himself to me in ways I could not imagine....and to top off this story with God's goodness...Jennifer, the woman who was with Judy...was Ruth's college roommate.  Yep!  God cares about the details...