[StBernard] MOM'S EMPTY CHAIR

[Westley Annis]

	A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray
with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed
with her head propped up on two pillows. 
	 
	An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the
woman had been informed of his visit.. 'I guess you were expecting me, he
said. 
	 
	'No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name
and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going
to show up..' 
	 
	'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman 'Would you mind
closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told
anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 
	 
	'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used
to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head..' 
	 
	I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the old woman continued, ' until
one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, ' Prayer is just a simple
matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.. 'Sit
down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see
Jesus on the chair. 
	 
	It's not spooky because He promised, 'I will be with you always'..
'Then just speak to Him in the same way you're doing with me right now..' 
	 
	'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of
hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an
empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the
funny farm.' 
	 
	The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old
woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with
oil, and returned to the church. 
	 
	Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her
mama had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?' he asked. 
	 
	Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to
her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got
back from the store an hour later, I found her . 
	 
	But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just
before Mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the
bed. What do you make of that?' 
	 
	The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could
all go like that.' 
	 
	Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. 
	I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.* 
	I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.* 
	I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU... 
	If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.