My friend, Penny, has had a rough go. But, then, it’s her fault.
She’s the one who told God she wanted to walk hand-in-hand with Jesus. And he is so faithful in answering prayers.
Penny’s life has been an exhausting, pain filled history, similar to that of St. Mary Magdalen to whom she has a special devotion. Hearing her stories leaves me doubled under the weight of her cross. Heartache. Gut-wrenching pain. The loss of everything, even her children. Yet, she is ever upright. The half of her face which still functions after the stroke is radiant, wreathed in smiles. The name of Jesus always on her lips, she is walking hand-in-hand with Him under the crushing weight of the cross. His yoke is easy to her. The burden light with joy.
She comes up to my shoulder, but barely. And yet, I strive to reach her knee, where I learn the value of love and self-sacrifice, trust, and how to bother Jesus for answers to my prayers, like a holy pest.
The first time Dr. Cincinnati replaced her hip, he used a spoon to scoop out the old one. Yet, until the day before surgery, she was making her way around the restaurant, cleaning late into the night, slowly, as the pain was beyond comprehension. Doing her job. Paying the mortgage. Telling everyone she met about the love of her Jesus.
Dr. Cincinnati performed the surgery at no charge.
After the old man hit her car, destroying the new hip in the wreckage of her vehicle, her Jesus provided again.
Dr. Cincinnati said he’d do the second surgery, too. On Sunday.
Friday night before the surgery, Penny was alone in her one-room house at the end of a driveway rendered impassible by mountain storms and lack of funds.
“I know You love me, Jesus. And I love You. Right now, I’m alone and afraid. I really need to know You love me. I could really use a hug from You. More than a hug, Lord. I need someone to hold me. There’s no one to hold me close.”
I tell her Jesus spoils her, but I guess she deserves it and I’m just jealous.
There was a knock at her front door. When she had hobbled across the room and thrown wide the door, Jesus’ answer stared back at her.
A friend from Church, in a party dress and heels, had walked down the driveway Penny describes as “a hike in the Rocky Mountains.”
“Hi, Penny. Don’t think I’m strange, but I’m here to tell you Jesus loves you very much. Very much. And here. I’m supposed to give you this.”
Penny accepted the proffered twenty, tears mixing with bubbling laughter at the speed of Jesus’ reply.
He hears our prayers.
Saturday morning, Jessie came to pick her up. They went to Wal-Mart so Penny could use the twenty. She needed something less ‘holey’ to wear in the hospital after surgery.
Jessie left her propped against a cart in the nightgown section and headed off toward jewelry.
Penny watched her go. It was funny how from this vantage, she could see most of the store — all the clothes aisles and over into housewears and frozen foods.
A older woman was at her side, and Penny, holding up a blue nightgown, asked if it looked alright.
“It’s very pretty, Penny. It will look nice on you.”
Turning to give her full attention to the woman, Penny was arrested by two eyes, so blue she couldn’t describe them. Blue earrings. Soft, silver-gray hair. A pant suit.
Penny, being Penny, began talking about her surgery. About how her Jesus had provided. The woman smiled and nodded.
“What’s your name?” asked Penny.
“Mary.”
“Mary, do you love Jesus?”
“I do. I was just at the hospital, too. I was there for the death of my pastor. He passed away at just the moment he would have been finishing his homily. Jesus always has me there when people die. I’m always right there with them.”
Penny sighed. She understood. Jesus asked the same from her, often, it seemed.
“Penny, I want to pray for you.”
Smiling her broad half-smile, Penny agreed.
The woman stepped forward past the pajama display and wrapped Penny in her arms, folding her into her chest, protectively.
It was no superficial squeeze. Penny felt love. Pure love. It flowed from the woman with a rush which filled her like a thimble under a soda fountain. The woman prayed in Penny’s ear.
“Jesus loves you. He has always loved you. Jesus wants to hold you just like this. Blessed be the Lord.”
They prayed together for a few moments. Then Mary released her and smiled.
“You will always be on my prayer list, Mary,” Penny told her.
“And you will always be on my prayer list, Penny.” The blue eyes were shining.
Jessie had come up beside them. Penny could see just her from the corner of her eye. Penny turned her head, wanting to introduce her to Mary. But something was wrong with Jessie. Her eyes were big and wild. She turned around. And around again, staring down aisles peeking under racks of bathrobes.
“Jessie? What’s wrong? I want you to meet Mary.” Penny glanced back toward the silver-haired lady.
But she was gone.
“Where did she go?” said Jessie, a note of anxiety in her voice, “Oh, Penny. She had a cart, but no purse. What woman comes into Wal-Mart without a purse? Oh, Penny! Do you think it was…” and here she dropped her voice, “…an angel?”
“Yeah, well, maybe. Coulda been. ”
But I don’t think so. I think it was someone else. Someone whom Jesus sent with a special greeting for His beloved Penny. Someone whose encircling arms had once comforted Him.
He hears our prayers.
Our Lady of Wal-Mart, pray for us.
