The leadership team was singing carols all throughout the campus. The next stop was the dining facility for folks who needed lots of assistance with daily living. Many of them suffered from varying degrees of memory loss.
Sitting in the back of the room was Ina, the wife of a Pastor who had died quite a few years earlier.
She was a terrific Pastor’s wife. She came along side her husband every way she could. It was obvious she had sought to live out her faith on a 24/7 basis.
Each time I would see Ina, she would ask my name. I would tell her - only to again have her ask my name a few moments later.
It was no different just prior to the caroling. We had our usual conversation which again resulted in repeating my name to her several times. It was really challenging to have any type of “regular” conversation with Ina.
And then we started to sing the carols. As we sang, it was evident to everyone in the room that Ina knew the words to every single carol being sung. The singing of one particular carol really stands out in my mind. As we sang, Ina put her head back, her face lit up into a beautiful glow and she sang with all the gusto she could possibly muster.
We sang the first verse and I signaled to the one leading carols to sing all the verses. Once again, Ina knew every word. For a moment, one could clearly picture the Ina that walked along side her husband as a wonderful and committed Pastor’s wife. I can still close my eyes – just like it was yesterday – and see her singing. Her singing that day of the third verse of “Away in a Manger” will always be part of my unforgettable stories and memories.
“Be near me Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children
In thy tender care.
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there.”
It was not many months after Ina’s wonderful singing that evening that this beautiful child of God experienced first-hand the meaning of “Away in a Manger.”
Merry Christmas from Lessons Learned Solutions