For Ron...

The following is an excerpt from a sermon I preached a week ago at a teacher’s conference. The events really happened on July 25th of this year…

“The day before I left for vacation this summer something very special happened, and I was there when it happened. For a while our church had being praying for a fellow who has been struggling with cancer. The prognosis is not very good, and he continues to battle. “I have never been what you would call a religious person”, he told me, “But I have been thinking about some things and its time for a change.” I had prayed with him the week before, he was moved by the service, and wanted to chat. I made plans to visit him at home that week, he and I kind of hit it off and I wanted to talk to him some more. Pastor John told me the next day that Ron wasn’t baptized, and that I might want to bring that up with him.
I haven’t been a Pastor that long, and this isn’t the kind of thing that happens to me a lot, or at least not yet. I phoned to confirm the appointment, we were still on but the venue had changed, the chemo had given Ron a fever and he was in hospital so they could keep an eye on him. I drove to the hospital with my head full of thoughts. How do I bring it up, how do I say what I feel God is telling me to say? Do I blurt it out? I don’t want this to just be over with, I want to do this right. I found my way up to his room, and he was tired from washing his face, that is the fight he is having right now. We chatted for a bit, about all kinds of things, enjoyed our time. The conversation turned to mortality, and it just came out.

“Do you believe in Jesus, Ron?” “Yes”
“Do you believe He can forgive your sins?” “Yes”
“Do you want to be baptized?” and this was the answer that caught me. Tears came and he simply said, “Please”.

His daughter was there, and his wife. I asked for a bowl, and she brought one. You figure in a hospital they would provide you know, a kidney bowl or something medical looking. Shannon handed me the bowl, and there was a grin looking back at me, a toothy orange grin on a green background. The rim was decorated with candy corn and asked Trick or Treat, and we didn’t care. We put water in it, Ron strained to move his head but we figured it out, and a new child of God was born. Water dripped from his brow, he looked at me and asked, “Can he forgive me for everything?” “He already has, bought and paid for in his blood.” It is always neat to be there when God shows up.

Ron is still fighting, but I left out something that I feel is important to share. He looked… lighter… more up beat. I asked him if I could share this with people, he said of course. Is it a good story, you bet… but you need to realize something. That Baptism is your Baptism, that forgiveness is the same forgiveness you receive daily. It is always a precious gift when God shows up, and He shows up each and every day, He gives you the ability to do your job, and the strength to serve Him.”

I saw Ron when I got home, and I was a little shocked to see how he was. He was on morphine for the pain all the time now. His had lost some weight. His communication was hampered by the medication, but he had moments of clarity. I shared a Psalm with him, prayed with him when he had a moment of lucidity. I talked with his kids, and listened as best as I could. I told them to call me if they needed anything.

I got a call yesterday, and I knew I needed to go, something said this was a drop everything kind of thing. I drove to Burnaby, and when I got there I knew. Ron lost his fight yesterday, but Jesus won the victory. I don’t always get emotional when things like this happen, and I managed to wait till I got back to the car. I wasn’t crying because I was sad, Ron was with the Lord, I was crying because (and realize I am still processing all of this somewhat) I felt so small, humbled by the whole thing, I feel like I understand what it means to fear God a little more, not in the sense that I am afraid of God, but in the sense that He made himself so evident in all of this.