Betty Jo Droeg Memorial
Martin
Luther once said that a thankful heart was the greatest form of worship we
could offer to God.
If
that is true, then Betty Jo turned a hospital room into a worship center last
Friday, November 13.
John
Denninger asked if a pastor could go visit Betty Jo at the rehab hospital at
Arrowhead. I was the guy who was
contacted. And I’m glad I was.
I’ve
made hospital visits to people I did not know.
It’s in those times when you’re not sure what to expect. How will the person be feeling? Do they want
to be visited? Will they want to talk or will I have to carry the conversation
along?
I
quickly discovered, as I talked with Betty Jo, that I had no reason to
worry. She welcomed me warmly and was
glad I came. She shared with me about
her physical problems. She hoped to
return home soon.
We
talked about her husband and what it was like to be a widow. She spoke about how much she loved her
family.
We
also talked about some spiritual concerns she had. We discussed the importance of forgiveness,
remembering that as God has forgiven us for the sins we’ve committed, we, too,
are to forgive those who have sinned against us. We remembered the price Jesus paid to be our
Savior, dying on the cross to pay the price for our disobedience and
faithlessness. We rejoiced that God’s salvation
is free and that everyone who embraces Jesus, by faith, has eternal life.
As
we wrapped up our conversation I asked her if she wanted me to come back and
bring my communion kit and she excitedly said, “Yes.” I promised to see her again. I’d planned on visiting this past Thursday.
Except
that when I called to find out what time I could come as see Betty Jo, the
hospital said she’d been discharged. I
thought that was good news! But I soon learned it was anything but good news.
Via
a text, Middy told me Betty Jo had been discharged so that she could be
admitted to Arrowhead Hospital. Her
health was quickly declining. Could I
come over?
I
did so and it was sad to see how much Betty Jo had slipped in just a week. Middy told me that she had not always been
responsive but when I called out to her, she recognized who I was. I told her I was sorry that she had to be in
the hospital. And I expressed again to her how much I had enjoyed our earlier
visit and how wonderful it was that I could share the love of Jesus with her.
Then
Betty Jo spoke. Three words. She said them over and over. “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.”
It
was like a litany. It was a litany of
thanksgiving offered to the one most worthy of our thanks and praise, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Betty
Jo’s response was not unlike a man who we can read about in the Bible – we find
him in St. Luke, chapter 17.
Verse
11 starts out: “Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border
between Samaria and Galilee.” The fact
that Jesus was anywhere near the region of Samaria is a huge surprise. The folks there didn’t like Jewish
people. Jewish people hated
Samaritans. If you were a Jew and
traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, you avoided going anywhere near Samaria. Why was Jesus so bold? Here’s why.
Listen
to verses 12-13: “As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met
Him. They stood at a distance and called
out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Leprosy,
in the time of Jesus, was like having a death sentence placed on your
head. There was no cure for this
horrible, disfiguring disease. The ten
men stood at a distance because if you were a leper you were not allowed to come
close to anyone. You lived away from the
village, away from family and friends.
You lived until you died.
What
does Jesus do? He does what He always does for sincere, hurting people. He answered their prayer. He told them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. Healed.
Free of the horrible disease.
All
ten men had their prayer answered by Jesus.
But only one came back to thank Him for the miraculous healing that had
taken place. Listen to verses 15 &
16: “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a
loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’
feet and thanked him – and he (the man at Jesus’ feet) was a Samaritan.
The
least likely is the only one who comes back to worship Jesus and to give Him
thanks for being made whole again. And I
can just imagine the man, kneeling in the dirt, holding Jesus around His
ankles, repeating over and over, “Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.”
Just
like Betty Jo.
It
was if a floodgate had been opened in that hospital room. Her thanks to Jesus came cascading over us,
leaving Middy in tears and me in awe.
It
all came out and I believe Betty Jo was thanking Jesus for:
Salvation…Mark
10:45 – “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His
life as a ransom for many.”
Forgiveness…Ephesians
1:7 – “In (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, in accordance with the riches of His grace.”
Eternal
Life…John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
I
believe Betty Jo was thanking Jesus for His steadfast love, His gifts of grace,
His inexhaustible patience and mercy.
I
also believe that Betty Jo knew exactly how ill she was and that Jesus was
truly her only hope, her only comfort in her time of need.
What
more can a person say but “Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you,
Jesus.”
After
Middy had to leave I stayed for a while longer and I sang some songs about
Jesus to Betty Jo. “Jesus loves me.” “What a friend we have in Jesus.” “I am Jesus’ little lamb.” “My hope is built on nothing less.” And it was wonderful – she sang with me, she
sang with a heart filled with faith in the Lord’s promises.
When
I left I said to Betty Jo, “I’ll see you later.” And that is true.
I
didn’t see her again before she passed into the arms of Jesus. But I will see her again.
I
will see Betty Jo on “Judgment Day”, or as I like to call it, “Resurrection
Day.”
On
that day, Jesus will come again, in all His magnificent glory. All who are dead will be raised to life. He will judge the living and the dead. Those that believed in Jesus and trusted Him
for forgiveness and eternal life will be gathered up and taken to heaven. And those who rejected Jesus as Savior will
spend an eternity apart from God.
So
I’ll see Betty Jo again. We’ll
talk. We’ll hug. I pray that I’ll see you there too.
We’ll be gathered
around the throne of God, offering our worship and praise.
And
Betty Jo has given me the words to say once I enter those heavenly gates – “Thank
you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.” Amen.
Pastor George Spicer
November 18, 2015
