March 25, 2023
“I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
– Jeremiah 31:1
Sandy helped her Aunt Arlene at the end of her life, when she had nothing left except a lot of unpaid bills. When no one answered Arlene’s calls, Sandy cared for her, bought her groceries, brought her to the doctor, reminded her to turn off the stove, argued with her about smoking, and scolded her for spending money on scratcher tickets that should have gone to pay her bills.
Arlene had a mind of her own. Nobody could tell her what to do. If they tried, she wouldn’t listen anyway. During those last years, she was often despondent and would tell Sandy, “I pray to God … but he doesn’t answer me.” (Her prayers were probably, “Let me win Lotto.”)
After months of dealing with social workers, Sandy got her out of her apartment and into a nursing home, where she could be cared for. Unfortunately, she spent the last six months of her life in the hospital as her health deteriorated and her dementia got worse.
Arlene had fallen away from her faith, but while she was in the hospital, Sandy pestered the nurses to have a priest visit her. The priest did more than visit her. He went every day and prayed and gave her last rites.
When Arlene died, Sandy arranged a beautiful funeral Mass, but was haunted by the thought she didn’t do enough. She couldn’t stop her from gambling, she couldn’t let her stay in the apartment with her dementia, and she couldn’t prevent her from dying.
However, when she finally had time to grieve, she looked back on everything that happened and realized God did answer Arlene’s prayers … but not in the way she wanted. He had sent someone to care for her, someone who was there when she was broke and her health declined, someone who made sure she had a beautiful funeral Mass. Yes, God had answered her prayers … in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
***
Sometimes God answers our prayers when we least realize it.