This has been a hard week, but one with many tender mercies to sustain us and the family of a veteran. It started Monday when we visited the Madigan Army Regional hospital. For about a month, a retired Army veteran, Larry, who is a double leg amputee, has been in the ICU on a ventilator. We have visited Larry each Monday and Wednesday since he was admitted. In talking with his wife, we found out that Larry was from Cedar City, Utah where Ilene grew up and my family moved there when I was in High School . Larry's brother, from Bountiful, was there shortly after he was admitted. The brother remembered playing football with my brother, Brent - small world. His brother also indicated that Larry and his family had not been active in the church for years.
Anyway, when we arrived at the hospital this past Monday, Larry was not doing very well. Ursla, his wife; Sonja, a daughter from Mississippi; and Bonnie, granddaughter from Germany were there. At one point, Ursla took Ilene out of the room to speak to her privately. While she was out, Larry was trying to communicate with us by hand motions. He even tried to write what he wanted, but he had lost all coordination in his hand so that didn't work. I became impressed that Larry wanted a blessing, and was going to say so when Ilene and Larry's wife returned to the room. When they came back into the room, before I could say anything, Ursla said Larry wanted a blessing. So, I gave Larry a blessing. It was not a blessing of healing, but was a blessing of comfort and love from God for Larry until he finished his work on this earth. When I finished, Larry had relaxed and was peacefully sleeping. Everyone in the room was in tears. The Spirit was definitely witnessing to us all that God was aware. We visited with the family a little longer. As we departed, we gave them our card with our contact information, and told them to call us if they needed anything at all.
On Wednesday when we returned, Larry and had continued to go downhill, but he recognized us and wanted to hold our hands. He then started motioning for something, so his daughter began asking him questions to see what he wanted. He wanted us to have a prayer. He then motioned that he wanted me to say the prayer. What a humbling experience. We know that it was not me, personally that he wanted to do that, but Larry's spirit recognized who I represented. All of Larry's family was there this time - his wife, three daughters, and the granddaughter, so we all gathered around Larry's bed and held hands including Larry. At the completion of the prayer, Larry was sleeping, and again tears were being shed because of the undeniable presence of the Holy Ghost. We left after the prayer because we had a teaching appointment with one of the soldiers in the Wounded Warrior Battalion.
On Thursday, Elder Peterson, the other senior military relations missionary couple, and I had an assignment first thing in the morning to inspect missionary cars at a zone conference. We had just completed the inspections and were driving out of the parking lot when my phone rang. It was the Madigan Hospital Chaplain's office, and they said that Larry's family had requested that we come and give Larry a blessing. We were in our casual preparation day clothing so I suggested we go home and change into our white shirts and ties. Elder Peterson said, "no we are close to Madigan so let's go like we are;" so, we were at the hospital in about 10 minutes and went directly to the ICU. The staff in the ICU indicated that Larry was in the last minutes of life. When we went into the room it was clear that that was true. Sonja was the only one there; she was holding Larry's hand and sobbing. Through her tears, she said, "I just want him to have one last blessing before he departs!" She then asked me to give him a blessing. Elder Peterson and I laid our hands on his head and I pronounced the blessing. It was a blessing of Love from God for Larry's long service to this nation that is so important to Him, and that he should be at peace and not fear death because, while his body would die, his spirit would live on in a place that his Savior had prepared for him. Before the blessing was complete, Larry passed away. Sonja just clung to Larry and sobbed. Our presence there at that critical moment was clearly a blessing from God. Larry needed us and Sonja needed us at that tender moment. Some would say the circumstances of us being there at that time just happened, but we know better. God knows the beginning from the end and takes care of every detail. It was no coincidence that we were asked to inspect cars that day at the church building closest to the Madigan Hospital. It was no coincidence that Elder Peterson said we should go to the hospital now. It was no coincidence that we arrived just before his passing.
The passing of Larry during the blessing was a tender mercy from a loving God, both for Larry and Sonja. Before I gave the blessing, I asked Sonja if they were ready to let Larry go. She said with considerable emotion, "yes, he has suffered enough." As I said above, in both the first blessing I gave him on Monday and the prayer we had around his bed on Wednesday, Larry's spirit recognized the presence of God and he relaxed and went to sleep. Therefore, I am certain that on Thursday Larry's spirit recognized the presence of God and he went to sleep, this time to end his journey in the this life, but to awaken as a spirit body in the Spirit World.
Ilene and I feel very blessed to have been guided by the Spirit in our visits and relationship with Larry and his family. We have them in our prayers as they prepare for his funeral and burial in the National Cemetery in Kent, Washington this Thursday.
