The Day We Picked Up Mom’s Ashes

The hotel we were staying in had a little breakfast buffet. I was too anxious to eat much, but I tried. A couple with their infant came in to eat and they were sitting quite close to us.

We started to make small talk. I asked them what they were doing in this area. The wife said, “My mom just passed away and we are going to meet my grandparents at a funeral home to make arrangments.” 😳😭  I looked at her and said, “Well, we are going to a funeral home to pick up my Mom’s ashes. Can I pray for you? I know how hard this is.” There we stood in the middle of this little breakfast nook and I prayed over this couple and what they had to face.

We arrived at the funeral home and I walked away just absolutely sick to my stomach while carrying my Mom’s remains and the bag of personal items. My husband rescued me from them and made the executive decision that we would go sit at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. I told him I couldn’t eat and he encouraged me to try. We walk in and my mind is just reeling and I barely notice my husband walk away. My kids and I sit down and all I can think of is what I just picked up and I mentally make a very disturbing joke. And I laughed. I laughed out loud at my own accidental, disturbing joke.

Guy comes back and says, “You know the deputy that I have been trying to get back in touch with? Well, he is eating lunch over there and I just happened to ask if he was the one I needed to talk to. He is and I am going to talk to him after lunch.” I was shocked that we just happened to meet him and Guy was shocked at my disturbing joke. We both awkward laughed and it relieved my anxiety enough that I was able to eat my lunch.

After our lunch, Guy was able to have a very good but hard conversation with the deputy and gave him more of a background. The deputy confessed that this particular case was hard for him because it had seemed to have similarities to his own story.  Guy was able to pray for this man and encourage him.

Nothing about this day was going to be pleasant. Yet, God allowed little rays of hope to shine through our pain as we prayed for and encouraged people who just happened to have walked in similar paths. That wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t luck. It was God ordained moments of our pain allowing us to be light in the midst of others dark moments.