Inspirational stories about God’s caring
It was my mother‘s funeral. My mother was kind and supportive. She was always there when I needed her. And I knew that she prayed for me for my entire life.
When she got seriously ill, my elder sister had a new baby and my younger brother was recently married. I had no entanglements, thus it was me, who could fully devote to taking care of mother. It was an honour.
Now, when she is gone, I found myself completely lost. „What will I do now, Lord” – I though and felt emptiness inside. Then I looked at my brother, he sat stoically while clutching his wife‘s hand. My sister sat by her husband and cradled their baby. He held his arms around her.
I sat alone. So deeply grieving, nobody noticed that. My mother was my closest friend. We read Bible together. I prepared meals, helped with her visits to doctors and took her for a walk. Now my job is done and I was alone.
Suddenly I heard a door opened and then quick footsteps hurried along the floor. In a moment I saw a young man, his eyes were filled with tears. He sat next to me. Then he sniffled: „I‘m late” and added: „Why do they call Mary by the name Margaret?” I whispered: „Because her name was Margaret, nobody called her Mary“. I wondered why this stranger sat next to me and interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting.
„Her name is Mary Peters” – he insisted. „No, that isn‘t right” – I replied. Then a sudden thought stroke his mind. „Is this Lutheran church?” „No, it is across the street“. It was clear that the man was at the wrong funeral. This awkward situation and solemnity of the funeral bubbled up inside me, I began to laugh. Some mourners threw sharp looks at me. I looked at the man sitting next to me, he started laughing too.
I imagined my mother watching us and laughing together.
After the final „Amen“, we went together to the parking lot. „Perhaps we will be the talk of the town” – he smiled and then offered „Since I have missed my aunt‘s funeral, maybe we could drink a cup of coffee?”. I agreed.
A year after we were married at a small country church. This time we both arrived at the right place. God gave me laughter and love in my time of sorrow. Now we are celebrating our twenty-second wedding anniversary. When somebody asks, how we met, my husband tells: „Her mother and my aunt introduced us to each other. Thus, our match was certainly made in heaven.