Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Love (04/27/06)
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TITLE: He Was Behind the Sofa the Whole Time | Previous Challenge Entry
By Stephanie Ehlers
04/29/06 -
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It started with my Aunt Mary. She had come home to die. I visited her and helped out my cousins as much as I could, but felt there was something more I could be doing. While talking about it with a good friend of mine who had recently gone back into the Church, she mentioned that she had been taught a version of the rosary that was especially comforting for those who were dying. Even in the midst of my long journey in paganism, the rosary was something I always enjoyed to the point of trying to come up with a pagan version, so that sounded like a perfect way for me to do more. Even though I myself didn't believe, I figured since my aunt was so devoted to God it couldn't hurt and might actually do some good. I started praying for my aunt each morning, and when I had to opportunity to do so, I prayed with her and my cousins.
Something odd started to happen. I started getting a lot more comfort from this praying than I had remembered having had for a long time; a peace that had eluded me all my life. I was intrigued, but didn't know where this was going.
On the way home from my aunt's house one day, on the car in front of me I saw a bumper sticker that read "I found Jesus. He was behind the sofa the whole time." I'd seen that saying before and thought it was funny. This time, though, it wasn't funny at all. It set off a chain of thought that sent me reeling.
First, the prayers I had been saying focused on how Jesus so loved us that he died for us. How profound this really was finally started sinking into my thick head. Next, the idea of Jesus hiding behind the sofa got me thinking about how He was here with me the whole time, patiently waiting for me to look for Him. He was here the whole time.
I was never alone, my aunt was never alone, no one was ever alone. He loved us enough to die for us and then to be here patiently waiting for us to look for Him. I pulled the car over and just sat there crying.
My aunt died peacefully at home, in bed. I got the opportunity to sit quietly with her, holding her hand while saying the rosary. I was at peace. My aunt was loved and was now going home. I am loved, and I now know I am never alone, because Jesus was waiting for me, behind the sofa the whole time.
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