MEETING A NEIGHBOR IN HER PAIN

Most of my delightful encounters have occurred in a very ‘ordinary’ way.  You know, when I’m minding my own daily business.  I was stationed in our front yard armed with my shovel and prepared for some serious plant removal. 

Within minutes of beginning my “dirt” project, a thought appeared on my brain’s radar: “Dianne, take one of your soothing pillows to your neighbor down the street.  You’ve given one to most of your neighbors, but not this one.”

It seemed loud enough to be of human origin, and I looked around to check.  It had been inaudible, but it came on me like a “strong urging.”  Yes, I remember that I hadn’t given this woman a soothing pillow, but thought I’d wait until my gardening goal was finished.

“No! Go now.”  It was such a profound urging, that I dropped my spade and went in to wash my hands and grab one of the pillows from our closet.

A soothing pillow is often referred to as a “wheat bag.”  It is clean red wheat sewn inside some material and made into a bag.  Once heated in a microwave they are marvelous to use for a variety of aches and pains.  My mother-in-law introduced me to these years ago.  

My “unmet” neighbor lived just two houses down from our home.  As I was approaching the driveway, I softly committed my knock at the door to the Lord to see what He would do with this “little pillow.”

A beautiful woman answered the door and I uttered, “Hi, I’m Dianne and I live just down the street.  I made this soothing pillow for you months ago, and am just now getting around to delivering it to you.”

Like most people, the pillow needed some instruction to its many uses.  After the directions were given, the woman just about cried. Now I’ve had many reactions to sharing these pillows, but tears weren’t one of them.

From that moment on, she spent fifteen minutes telling me about her severe back pain.  As she told me her need of some relief, I thought.  My goodness, God’s urging a few minutes earlier was “right on time.”

After hearing of her months-long dilemma, she kept repeating: “How did you know I needed this?” and kept repeating the question.  Well, how else could I have responded except that I was a Christian, and that I felt that the Lord wanted me to rush this over to your home … even though I had no idea about her situation.

After learning of her specific need, I realized that I had the exact “back pain” in the same area as hers, about 15 years earlier.  I knew first hand, the pain she must have been experiencing.  It was unbearable … without the help of strong pain meds.

What is unique and difficult about her situation is that due to COVID, the physicians in British Columbia were restrained from the normal number of surgeries they would conduct.  When I asked if she had contacted a neurosurgeon, she replied that she had contacted several, but no one would see her.  She even inquired about going out of the country if a surgeon would see her.

Now, it was obvious to me that she needed surgery and that life wasn’t going to improve without it.  It was at this point that I mentioned the name of the doctor who operated on me just five years earlier.  He’s one of the best neurosurgeons in Canada.   She hadn’t heard of him, but I shared that I would get the number for her and at least she could attempt to make contact.  She felt that the effort would be futile.

About this time, her grown daughter appeared at the front door to see what all the conversation was about.  Soon after the introduction, my next comment was to ask if she minded if I prayed for her?  Yes, right then and there at her front door.  It was a resounding YES!

I bowed my head and a “prayer meeting” commenced.  Afterwards, she walked me gingerly to the end of her driveway, and keep repeating her gratefulness, followed by ‘how did you know?’  I again simply said that it was Jesus Who knew her need and wanted to help her.

A few days elapsed and one morning the doorbell rang.  As I opened the door, I was met by this woman and a bouquet of flowers.  She continued saying “Thank You”, after each I tried her to focus her on the Lord and how He cares for us deeply and longs to be involved in our lives.

Then the ‘SURPRISE’ came.  She phoned this surgeon the following day, and he agreed to see her within a week or so.  To her, that was UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!   I remember praying for her and asking the Lord to help in whatever way He knew best.

We often can feel like we’re putting God on the spot … wondering when or how He’ll answer our prayers.  I was delighted … and she was ecstatic. 

To make a very long story short, within about six weeks she had the surgery and the vertebrae correction was made and she was out of pain.   During the course of waiting, I was able to share my faith in Jesus Christ and my commitment in following Him.

At the time of this writing, I have no idea where she is with all this.  What I do know is that God was made to look good to this neighbor, who needed His help. 

The following passage from 1 Peter 5:7 describes this situation precisely: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

As Dr. Tony Evans (from the Urban Alternative Ministry) often shares:  God is our SOURCE, all others and everything else are just a RESOURCE.

Let’s make God the first One we go to for any need!