Follow-up with the funeral home

I met Monday with my contact at the funeral home, Gordan, to tell him what had happened with my friends Al & Rae and their pushy salesman. We spent an hour and a half talking, with me learning the ways of the funeral home business and him learning how it is paramount to be ultra-sensitive to the family dealing with the issue of their mortality.

This weekend, Gordon and I are going over to visit with Al (Rae will be out of town seeing 2 great-grandsons for the first time) and answer his questions and put his mind at ease. There will be no signing, no pressure. Then when Al is ready to move forward, someone else (not the salesman) will return for the signature with me present, of course. This is a huge improvement over the previous scenario.

Then I had a long telephone conversation with the owner of the funeral home, Barry. First of all he was shocked at the salesman's behavior but totally believed me. Second, this salesman is leaving the funeral home to become a nurse (God help us all!!) so they are hiring a new person. Third, they want me to come in and train not only the new salesman but the entire staff of the funeral home, using my pastoral skills training and fourth....are you ready for this?...when I complete my year as chair of Deacons (next Oct.), Barry and I are going to talk about me regularly doing volunteer work with them including going out with the new salesman on occasion. (I don't want paid work because I want my independence and because this type of work is a calling not a profession.)

My, my God has mysterious ways in which He leads us. I knew I wanted to contribute more of my time to either the local hospital or Hospice after Oct. Never, ever would I have dreamed of volunteering with a funeral home! And yet, God clearly showed me the need, equiped me, put me in the right place at the right time, opened my ears to hear him and gave me an obedient spirit. And the best part, I am actually very excited about this prospect which confirms that it is of God.