Where's Ed been?

He was just sitting there in his wheelchair in the cold, white and taupe room.  There were two little beds and tube TV.  He looked up surprised and, for a moment, thought I was his doctor.  That was awesome!  I’ve never been mistaken for a doctor.  He quickly realized it was me.  He fumbled for my name.  “Tim from Westside” I said.  “Yes, I know that” Ed replied.

We hadn’t seen him at church for a few weekends and decided that I was going to run down to his place, in an assisted living facility, and see if he was there.  He wasn’t.  It was lunch time so I went to look in the cafeteria, but didn’t see him there either.  So I went to a little welcome desk and asked about him.  Fortunately, his neighbor was there.  She told me to come with her.  I followed her into her room and she handed me a piece of paper with an address scrolled on it.  It was to the rehab center where he had been for the past week.  There was also a phone number.  “Don’t call it.  He doesn’t answer” she told me.  I already knew that.  I’m in the habit of just going to his place.  I took a picture of the scribbling and told her thank you.  She expressed her concern for him and hoped that he would return.  “The place is just not the same without him here.  He is such a nice man.”

Agreed.  He is incredible.

So I drove down to Sarasota and found the place he was staying.  It was amazing.  Ed is in his 90’s and still sharp.  He is full of gratitude and love for His Father God.  I asked him how everything was going.  He gushed with gratitude over the wonderful doctors, wonderful food, and “just how great God has been to him.”  He would tear up when talking about how good God is.  

When he was ready to eat he asked if he could pray with me there.  (I’m a Pastor, so that’s kind of really funny.)  He prayed an incredibly simple prayer and got choked up when thanking God for being so good.

This man has been sharing a room in an assisted living center for the past two weeks.  He hasn’t left his room.  He has no family come visit him.

He teared up because of how good God is.  He told me that he tears up every time he thinks about how good God has been to him.

When was the last time that you teared up thinking about how good God has been to you?  I think that realization for him was his source of boundless joy.


I want to be as happy as Ed.  That guy knows what life is about.  Ed knows that His Father in Heaven loves him and takes care of him.

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