By Dr. John E. Morgan

Pastor–Collinsville Baptist Church

It’s the kind of story that could only happen in a small town.

We live in Collinsville on the road you all take to Trade Day.  We are about three blocks up the hill from downtown.

About ten years ago, my mother and my wife’s mother (called Granny) were both visiting us for a few days.  My mother was not able to remember many things.  She knew who we all were, but she had no idea where she was.  I could have told her we were in Alaska, and she would have smiled and gone back to her cup of coffee.  Granny could no longer drive, and she really needed someone with her when she got out of the house.

One day Granny informed us that she wanted to go downtown.  And she assured us that my mother wanted to go, too.  They especially wanted to go to the sewing shop.  Granny had worked as a seamstress much of her life, and she enjoyed looking at material, patterns, etc.  Gloria, my wife, told them that she could not leave right then, but she would try to get them downtown later.

Gloria went back to work in the kitchen, and I went back to the newspaper.  The mothers went to the front bedroom.  Fifteen minutes later, I heard them coming back.  Granny had changed clothes, put on some jewelry and her dress shoes.  She had also worked a little on my mom.  They were ready to go to town.

Granny walked straight to the front door with my mother following.  They opened the door and Granny said, “We’re gone.”  I jumped up.  “No.  No.  Wait a minute.  Gloria, you mom is leaving.”

Granny said, “Don’t bother her.  She’s busy.”  She gave me an imperious look and left.  What to do.  What to do.  If I force them back, that’s bad.  If I let them go, that will be dangerous and bad.  We might never see them again.

I grabbed the phone as I walked onto the front porch.  Granny looked back with an I-am-very-pleased-with-myself look.  I made sure they got safely across the street as I dialed the phone.  Gloria arrived on the porch with a puzzled look on her face as she saw the two mothers who sometimes could not walk safely through the house walking down the sidewalk.

I spoke into the phone.  “Mamie.  Our moms are coming to your shop.  Go to your front door and look toward the red light.  I’m watching them from here.  Let me know when you see them.”  I walked down the sidewalk a ways to be closer to them.  They got to the corner.  Mamie said, “I see them.  I’ve got them.  I’ll call you when they start back.”

They stayed at the shop almost an hour.  Mamie called.  We reversed the process.  I held my breath as they crossed the busy street.  I slipped back into the house as they got close.

They walked in the front door as if they had just orbited the moon.  Very proud of themselves.  My mom still not sure where she had been or where she was and happy.  Granny had a look that let us know that she had showed us.  That she was still very independent.  Never knowing that she had never been out of the sight of caring, loving eyes for a second.  Never more than a few seconds from help if needed.

Both mothers are now gone.  We miss them.  They turned the corner at the last stop light and went to heaven.  My mom now knows where she is.  Granny can go walk the streets of gold whenever it pleases her.

God watched over our moms all the way home, even when they didn’t know He was there.  And He watches over you and me.

As the Jewish people climbed the hills of Jerusalem on their way to the holy city, they would say these words – The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:7-8