This is the start of a new chapter... a first, rough draft which will go through considerable editing, but the story is sweet.

Blessings Happen

        Many years ago, my wife Ruth and I were visiting a man from our church who was on the Sick and Shut-in list. He had a variety of serious health problems, including diabetes that had already cost him one leg. The diabetes had taken its toll on his heart, too and he had a pacemaker to keep it beating. Life was hard for him. He had a visiting nurse stop by once a day, but the rest of the time he was limited to his wheelchair. On one of our visits, the conversation wandered onto football. I expected that the man would be a New York Giants fan because where we were living at the time was so close to New York City. That wasn't the case. He loved the Green Bay Packers. I told him that my wife and I were going out to visit our family in Wisconsin and he became very excited and his eyes lit up.
"Will you bring back a Green Bay Packers cap for me? He asked.
"You can count on it! Jim" I answered.
"When will you be back?" he asked.
"In a couple of weeks" I replied. I knew he'd be counting the days.
When we returned from Wisconsin going to see Jim was one of our highest priorities. We didn't want to keep him waiting.
When we arrived at Jim's apartment we rang the doorbell and, a woman answered the door.
"We've come to visit Jim" I said, and I heard a faint voice from the other room.
"He's had a bad fall," she said. He just got home from the hospital."
"What happened," I asked.
"He fell out of his bed and couldn't get back up. He was lying on the floor until I came to visit the next day."   
When Ruth and I walked into the bedroom, Jim was lying on his side with his back facing us.
"Did you remember to bring me my Green Bay Packers cap?" he asked weakly.
"You know I wouldn't forget you, Jim," I answered. I walked around the side of his bed and leaned over. Gently lifting his head off the pillow, I slid the Green Bay Packers cap onto his head and softly laid his head back on the pillow.
"You're looking good, Jim!" I said, and a broad grin spread across his drawn face.
"You didn't forget!" he said. I think not forgetting was even more important than the cap. A couple of weeks later he was gone. I suspect he was wearing his Green Bay Packer cap when he walked up to St. Peter on two strong legs.

Jerry