Occasionally, we are blessed with a special moment, and I had such a moment last year. I had been bringing communion to a sweet lady who was 106 years old. On this particular day, she was in the hallway in her wheelchair. She smiled when she recognized me, and we returned to her room. But on this day, she seemed unusually agitated. She looked up at me and said, “I don’t understand. Why am I here?” I took her hands in mine, and I tried to reassure her. I prayed with her, and a calmness that was recognizable in her voice came over her. However, it didn’t take long for her to say again, “But I don’t understand; why am I here?” As I held her hands, assuring her again that God was with her, she drew closer to my face, looked deeply into my eyes, squeezed my hands, and with her lips quivering, she said in a soft, painful voice, “But I need to see my mother!” I will never forget that moment.

It’s been a year since that visit, and this lovely lady has gone to be with her mother and Jesus. Left behind are those words… “Why am I here?” It’s a question with one answer: I’m here to live life in the Spirit, to see Jesus in each other. I’m here to model joy and blessings, to be the face of Jesus to someone else, and to remember there is another home…a better home… waiting for me…and for you!

About the author: Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is the priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.