Church of the Nazarene

Dimes for Africa

(Story #2)  The Funeral Director

     The young 38-year-old wife of the custodian of Pacific Coast Manor (a rest home I minister in each Friday morning) died of a cerebral hemorrhage.  He had no church so asked me to do the funeral in nearby Watsonville, CA.  He told me it would be at 11:00 AM that next Thursday.  I arrived at 10:30.  The funeral home director saw me sitting in the front lobby and came over to greet me.  When I told her I was there to do Theresa Gonzalez’s service, she asked why I had come so early.  I told her I always arrive places a few minutes early, but she wondered why I was there nearly 2 ½ hours early.  The funeral wasn’t until 1:00 PM!  The husband, John, had gotten confused on the times.  She told me to wait there for a minute.  When she came back she handed me a $50 check.  She said, “I know John doesn’t have any money to pay you today because he’s still paying us for his mother’s funeral from a year ago.  Because you’ll make two trips today, let me at least pay for your gasoline.”  Surprised by her thoughtfulness, I told her, “You have just fed 500 people in Africa!”  I then told her the story.  She retrieved her purse and gave me another $5 bill  and said, “Please feed 50 more for me.”  (It was that $50 check that I took to the bank in Story #1.)