I love these people.
Our church has a prayer service every third Sunday night. Last Sunday night Mr. John Richard wrote columns of names on our big classroom-sized chalkboard which someone had rolled in from the annex. One by one he went down the list of names he had scrawled in columns (with apologies for his “notorious” scrawl), telling us about each person’s situation.
When Mr. John Richard got to one man who has lived many decades, he let us know that folks don’t expect him to be with us much longer. “He has fought the good fight,” he quoted from 2 Timothy.
 I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith . . .
2 Timothy 4:7
After church, we chatted with brothers and sisters in Christ and then headed outside with Mother. “I love these people,” Ray said when we got to the car.
The next morning while I was tidying up in the dining room, I pulled out some wilted flowers from a little arrangement I had on the table. That left only this bit of sedum.
The remains of my arrangement reminded me of our friend Dorris, whom we knew and loved when we lived in Illinois. She had taken a course in Japanese flower arranging while living in Japan. She often decorated our potluck tables with pretty Japanese arrangements.
When I told Ray that the flowers made me think of Dorris, he said, “We’ve known some great saints.” We both paused and felt grateful that that is true.
One of the gifts you can give your children is to fill their lives with relationships with “great saints.” You have the freedom to spend time with people who will be shining examples for your children and for yourself.
He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20