by Fran Lynch

“And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” —Romans 8:27. NRSV

“Miss Margaret” is a mean old woman. She has few friends, and when I spend time with her, she always tries to pay me. I tell her I don’t need to be paid, and I joke that I am earning stars for my crown,

Miss Margaret lived in a cabin without plumbing. One day we found her on the floor of her cabin. She had suffered a series of strokes. Miss Margaret sold her cabin and truck and went to live with relatives in North Carolina, but she returned home to Willow, Alaska, more estranged than ever from her family. She moved into a hotel.

Then she had another stroke and was hospitalized three weeks. Uncooperative with medical staff, she just wanted to go home. I was her main visitor. I got her mail and paid her bills. I refused the $40 she offered for helping her, so she said to give the money to the church. When I told her it would go toward camp scholarships, she grumbled, “You and your children.” Miss Margaret does not like children.

Ignoring advice about assisted living, Miss Margaret checked herself out of the hospital against doctors’ orders and went to live with family members in California. That lasted about a week.

Now residing in an assisted-living home, Margaret is very unhappy. I continue to visit her, get her mail, pay her bills and earn stars in my crown. What painful stars!

When I’m not trying to help Miss Margaret, I coordinate the outreach ministry of the Willow [Alaska] United Methodist Church—distributing food, clothing and household items and assisting with heating fuel, transportation and home repair. But Miss Margaret stays on my mind.

I love that mean old woman. In some ways, it is my job to help her, but the reality is it’s my calling to help her and my joy to serve. Your gifts through the Advance for Christ and His Church enable me to serve. Thank you!

Deaconess motto: What do I wish? I wish to serve. Whom do I serve? The Lord, in his poor and needy ones. And what is my reward? I do not serve either for reward or for thanks, but out of gratitude and love. My reward is that I may do this. Amen.

Fran Lynch, deaconess, Willow, Anvik, Grayling Church and Community Ministry, Alaska Missionary Conference

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  Communities |  GBGM programs |  Missionaries |  United Methodist Church |  Women |  Methodism |  Geographic Region: United States |  Western U.S. |  Source: Advance
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Date posted: May 30, 2006