It had been 30 years

I believe that God gives special gifts to each of us in the form of wonderful people along the way in the span of our lives. He seems to bring these relationships into our lives at strategic points in our development in order to bless us in unusual ways. Our job is to notice the blessing He sends our way, and then thank Him for them, too.

God really blessed me when He allowed my life to overlap with Herrick and Mary Smith.

For a little over six months, this wonderful couple ministered to me at a vulnerable time in my life. I will be forever grateful to God for them!

Let me tell you the story...

It was late 1979, and I was a 25 year old single man working for HDR Architecture in Omaha. Kind of out of the blue, I was presented with a very unique opportunity to teach at the University of Florida for a limited six month period. In order to do this, however, I would need to take a leave of absence from my job, which I did.

Upon arriving in Gainesville, Florida (all alone, not knowing another soul there and a week before Christmas), I soon met Herrick (as he would be my boss for the next six months). He subsequently introduced me to his sweet wife, Mary, over dinner. We three became fast friends! Their overflowing love and selfless generosity spilled over onto me in numerous ways. They even quickly made me "part of their family" and invited me to their home for Christmas Eve.

I could go on and on about all the other things these two wonderful people did for me from that cold December to hot and muggy June in Gainesville. But, that one act of extreme kindness at Christmas impacted me in a very profound way. So much so that I decided I would commit to talking with them by phone every Christmas Eve thereafter (if possible), telling them how I would never forget their generosity towards me and thanking them again for it.

Fast forward to the year 2010.

Last weekend (just before the Labor Day holiday), I traveled to Florida to visit my long-time friend, Herrick, who lost his sweet wife of over 53 years in early August. She succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer's, a terrible disease that had been diagnosed only a couple of years ago. Alzheimer's cut her wonderful life short, just a few months before her 85th birthday.

After receiving the news of Mary's untimely passing, I wanted to be with Herrick in the worst way. Since I was not able to attend her funeral, I felt compelled to go there and be with him. But, it had been 30 years since we had spent any time together.

What would it be like to be with him again, even if only for parts of two days? Would we even have that much to talk about? What could I do to bring comfort and companionship to this special friend who now found himself all alone in a house he shared with his wife for over 44 years? Was I even the one who should try to do this?

Needless to say, I was a little nervous as I flew on Southwest Airlines from Dallas to New Orleans to Tampa to Jacksonville, and then rented a car and drove the final leg of the journey into Gainesville. I so much wanted my visit to be helpful to Herrick in the midst of his grieving process. But, it had been 30 years.

What if it didn't go well talking with him? What would I do then? What if it was just too hard for either/both of us without his sweet wife, Mary, there? She was always the great conversationalist when we were together.

Well, suffice it to say, the visit ended up going very well. As a matter of fact, I believe we both benefited from our time together. It was a time of healing and a time of hope. I'm so very glad I followed through with the promptings I had to take this trip and spend that time with Herrick.

What lessons can be learned from all this?

• Don't forget to look for the special people God puts in your path to bless you.
• Don't forget to be one of the special people God may choose to use to bless someone else in a time of need.
• If you have been blessed, don't ever forget that blessing and remember to pass a similar blessing on to someone else if you are given the chance.
• If God lays a long-time friend on your heart, follow-through with contacting them now. You never know how important your friendship may be to them and/or how timely a call or a visit from you might be in their life right now.
• Thank God for all the special people He's placed in your path along the way.

It had been 30 years. Both of us said we wouldn't let that much time pass before we got together again.