"As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him ..." - Psalm 103:15-17God gave me that verse last week, but I didn't completely understand why. My life tends to be so busy and involved these days, that I didn't take the time to really meditate on it as I should have. However, today the verse is very clear and means a great deal to me.
I don't always understand why God does the things that He does. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." We can know that no matter how unthinkable something may be that occurs within our lives, God is in control and it is yet another step for us to take in maturing as Christians. Sometimes God allows people to come into our lives, for short periods of time, that not only become a part of our existence, but that impact us in such a way as to forever alter our hearts and the way we live our lives. That's where this begins.
Ms. Kay was, for sometime, just a nice old grey-haired lady that sat next to me in Choir. We began speaking to each other when she first moved into the seat next to me. She lamented about being a female tenor and the identity problems that came with it. She told me many times that although she didn't sing that well, she felt the calling of the Lord to be in the Choir. She proved to me over and over again the dedication she had to doing God's will in her life by showing up for every rehearsal and performance for months on end. Her attendance was an example to us all.
As time wore on, we talked about our lives and all of the things in them. She talked frequently of her cats, whom she loved with all of her heart. Before I got a kitten of my own, she gave me a small, metal sculpture of a Orange-striped cat that she had picked up at the Hallmark store, telling me "that can be your cat until you get a real one." It is sitting on my nightstand right now. When I finally got a cat of my own, she couldn't have been happier for me. We both lived alone and our pets provided love and entertainment for us when we were at home.
We talked endlessly about our lives, our financial problems, and our families. We found that we had a great deal of things in common. As the months progressed, we shared our lives as best friends do and prayed daily for each other. She became an important part of my life, telling me that I was her "adopted son". I began to call her "Mama Kay". If I was not at rehearsal or in a performance for any number of reasons, she would tell me later that she was worried about me and that she was praying for me.
Ms. Kay also had quite a sense of humor. About a year or so ago, for several months of Sundays, she would scoot down in her seat in the Choir loft just so that, for the cameras, it would look like the bald-headed guy in front of us had a pile of curly white-gray hair on the very top of his head. It was truly funny and I had to struggle on several occasions to keep from laughing out loud. Thank goodness the gentleman that was the victim thought that it equally as funny. It became a ritual to watch the screens to see if she could do it.
I also enjoyed listening to her talk about her job. She was employed as a product demonstrator at Walmart. She had hundreds of funny stories about her demos, but the one that sticks out in my mind is the demonstration she did for Bounty paper towels. I laughed at her as she told me what a dreadful demo it was and how everyone that she tried to stop told her that they didn't like cleaning up messes at home, so why would they want to see her make one and clean it up at Walmart? She said that she was only able to get about five people to watch her over a four hour period, and that they only watched because they felt sorry for her. It was truly funny.
Yesterday, after we sang "In The Presence of Jehovah" for the second service at Church, we walked into the Choir robe room to hang our robes up. Afterward, she gave me a hug and told me "see you tonight". "Okay" was my reply, the same as every other Sunday. She walked up the hall for what would be the last time that I saw her.
At about 12:58, about an hour and a half after I last saw her, she was involved in a traffic accident and killed instantly. Suddenly, she was gone before I had the chance to share everything with her that I wanted to. Life is so short and there is no guarantee of tomorrow for any of us. I can only say that I will never again live my life the same way, and that I am happy for Kay; knowing that she is truly "in the presence of Jehovah".
I could sit here and tell you what a wonderful woman she was, but words could never fully express how I felt about her. I loved her as the dear friend that she was to me. She was the last thing that I thought about last night before going to sleep and the first thing I thought about this morning. I miss her.
There is a song by the Gaither Vocal Band that says:
"Knowing we can spend a lifetime reminiscing on the past ... Knowing I will see your face again where tender moments last ... It makes me want to go there, knowing I won't be alone ... Knowing you'll be there makes it easy to go home."I have been on this Earth for 41 years and a lot people have come and gone. Although Ms. Kay occupied a relatively small portion of my life, she has made an immense difference through her friendship and prayers. And along with her death comes a profound effect on my Christian walk and a deeper understanding of God's word as it says that we are "like the grass; as a flower of the field."
And in this world full of weeds and thorns, Ms. Kay was a rose.
"Goodbye for now, Kay. I love you."
