Go Visit Shirley

Had the desire to head to Target to check out their food clearance section to see if I could find some more gluten free cereal that I had previously bought from there recently (I hardly shop there)

as I was thinking about doing that the thought came in my mind that I needed to take David Joseph (he is our 5th child and miracle baby- will be doing a post on him in the near future)

to visit a nursing home. As I did the name Shirley popped into my mind. I knew we needed to visit her.

"Go visit Shirley" with the thought of nursing home attached to her name

 I said, "Ok Lord, I will visit Shirley"

 (I had no clue who this Shirley was) I then quickly thought of 2 different nursing homes that would kind of be on my way to Target. Soon as I was forming a game plan in my mind on which driving route to take, the Lord brought another nursing home- Point Lookout front and center to my mind. This one is actually real close to my home and also the least visited by me.

So I knew I needed to atleast visit that one as well and decided I would head to that one first on my search for this Shirley. As I was driving down the hill and across the little bridge I saw a couple walking on the sidewalk. The closer I looked I realized it was the couple that I have been thinking about off and on.
side story- up to a few years ago this couple had been homeless, when I met up with them on Halloween they had an apartment to live in and I gave them a ride home along with my mom's leftover tator tot casserole that I was originally going to take home to my kids but felt prompted to share it with them instead. Told them I would just need the dish back as it was my moms. I believe that dish is older then me. I remember that since my childhood.

Anyways I found a place to stop and got out and said hi and asked them if they needed a ride. They both recognized me as well and said, "hey we still have your dish." They needed to go to the south part of town which was in the same direction of the nursing home I was going to. So I dropped them off and told them that after I was done with the nursing home if I saw them walking on their way to the bank I would pick them up and take them.

I got to the nursing home and noticed right by the front door a white piece of paper with the notice that it was flue season (in our county there has already been 4 confirmed deaths and many people sick with the flue) and highly recommend that NO children under the age of 14 come and visit at this time.
So I check in real quick with the Lord and said, "You still want me here, right?" Or something like that and got a affirmative. So in I go with David Joseph in my arms. We let ourselves in after punching the code to let us in and saw  a lady sitting in a wheel chair with a colorful afghan. I introduced her to David Joseph and chatted with her for a few minutes before moving on. Peaked into the dinning area and surprised that lunch was still going on, it was around 1pm. It was still pretty full with the residents eating their lunch. I took David Joseph first to a table where a lady was sitting by herself near the piano.
I introduced her to David Joseph and started to give her a very short version of how he was our miracle baby. That he started off as a tubal pregnancy and how our Lord and Savior actually came to my bed and finished completely moving him into the womb. I testified that we truly have a God of miracles and she shared some things as well. We continued to move table to table introducing David Joseph one by one. About half way through I came up to a table with a much younger lady probably younger then me. She was severely handicapped (her body that is) I went up to introduce her to my son when she said very clearly- "Hi David Joseph!" Very clearly and full of love. She had great hearing. In that moment the Lord opened up my understanding about her and my son. I said to her, "You know David Joseph!" and my eyes started to tear up. She was very observant and ask, what is wrong? I said, I am just overwhelmed but a good kind of overwhelming moment.

Later at a table with 4 ladies we gave our introduction and noticed a worker helping one of the ladies and knew her face. She attends my ward, she is a recent convert. She asked me, "Who are you here to visit?"
I replied- "Everybody!"
She goes, "No, I mean who did you come to see? I first thought you knew people at the other table because you were so friendly and visiting with them."
 I said, "I don't know anyone that lives here. I just walked in with my son and we just started to make our rounds. Actually I am here (I started to point my finger up towards the ceiling) because God told me to come. I am trying to find Shirley. Do you have a Shirley that lives here? I still have 2 more nursing homes to find her. She told me she knew of 2 Shirleys here at this facility.

The lady that I talked to by the piano came to me and gave me a hug and thanked me for coming and sharing with her that she needed that so much- that encouragement.

After visiting with what I thought was the last table that had 2 men sitting there, movement caught the corner of my eye. In the middle of the room sat a man by himself at a table. He had been long done with his meal. He was waiting there very quiet and patient for his turn to visit with us. I said to him, "We haven't visited with you yet, have we?" He smiled and said, "No you haven't". So we went over there and he tried to get my son to play with him. It was a short and sweet visit.

We then headed our way to the nurses station where I saw another paper on the flue thing. I told the lady/nurse on the right side of the nurses station that I was here to visit with both of her Shirley's. She said, actually there are 3 of them that live here. Which one are you here to visit? What's her last name? I shrugged my shoulders and said, " I have no idea. I just know that I am here to visit Shirley." Asked her that I may visit which ever ones were available. She told me she would have to get clearance from the head nurse. The head nurse was to the left of me- the right side of this nurse. She looked at me and reminded me of the flue and their policy or was it just a suggestion? I just stood there and smiled real big and said, "yes I understand." Well after a few seconds of silence and no change on my part the head nurse relented and the other nurse asked her about Shirley S to which the head nurse just shook her head no . Then told her I could see Shirley X. She told me the room number and pointed to the correct hallway. I asked her if it was at the end of the hall. She said " no, not that far." Well I thanked both nurses, sending them more love and smiles and off we went. 

I came to her room and noticed to names on the wall next to the entrance as I looked in I noticed 2 beds side by side but only one person there. Her back was to me as she was sitting in her wheel chair looking out the window. It was a beautiful sunny day (cold and windy but sunny) I called out and said, "Are you Shirley?" She nodded her head. As I got closer I realized I knew this lady or rather I had already met her earlier. In fact she was the first person we saw when we got there. She still had that afghan on her lap. 

Alpha and Omega came to my mind. First is last and last is first. I am pretty sure I asked her her name when I first met her but did not hear her or it was veiled from me. BECAUSE had I known from the get go that she was Shirley, I probably would not of gone into the dinning room and visited with all those people. 

It was such a beautiful experience. 

Once in the van David Joseph started to chat. I decided to take the freeway and go into Branson that way and go to Target and did so. Having fun with David Joseph as I would push the cart them put my feet up on the bars and take a ride with him. We both thought it was fun and since no workers or other customers complained about it - we continued to do it. 

After words I texted the couple to see where they were at and headed back to my town- Hollister. I found them and took them to the bank and let David munch on some Cheerios (berry ones) while we waited. Then drove them to Walmart and found a place to park while they went inside to put more minutes on there phone. Thought came to my mind that on Thursdays I can offer them a ride to pick up their check and go to the bank. That would save them hours of walking and after all I had already told the Lord that this van isn't mine anyways but I gave it to the Lord and I was willing to help whoever needed help. After 30 min of waiting I texted asking if they were almost done. David Joseph was getting just a little restless and it was soon to the time my kids would be getting home from school. When found out it was going to take more then 10 min I told them I would need to leave and hoped that someone else would be kind and offer them a ride home. (It's like 6 miles back home) 


This account is from the end of Jan. Just posting this now. Have many other posts in draft form that will be finished and then posted in the near future. I realize I have a tendency to start many, many things/projects that I don't seem to finish/complete them. So working on this weakness of mine. 

We have an amazing God! We have an amazing Lord! We have so many opportunities to uplift, radiate the love of God, and serve one another. It is wonderful to see that no matter what I am doing or where I am, opportunities present themselves to me and I am able to help the Lord and my fellow man. 

Until next time- your sister in Christ, Sally.