Miss Ann Says

Tag: following Jesus

• Questions & answers

  Posted at 9:30 pm by missannsays, on September 20, 2012

  Since September 11, 2001, people have asked me when I knew Bruce was dead. I can’t tell you an exact day. At some point within the first week or so, I had a dream about Bruce in the towers. I dreamt he heard the sound of the floors collapsing above him and he tried even harder to get people out.  He whispered he loved his girls (that was what he called E, M and I) and then he was face to face with God.

  After Sept 18 meeting and the dream, I knew he was never coming home and it was time to begin planning his memorial service. I had told one of the other wives from Squad 41 that I would be the first wife to declare my husband dead and plan a service.  Of course there was the legal side of that – filing a missing person’s report and requesting a death certificate.  My sister would take care of contacting the powers that be. A NYPD detective would come to my home and leave the report. My sister and I would sit at my kitchen table and we would complete a missing person’s report.  Weight, height, tattoos… but there are questions you have never even thought of – attached or unattached ears???  That same detective would come back and pick up the report.

  We would also need to deal with the DNA request. Squad 41 had already given the medical examiner’s office Bruce’s comb, a t-shirt and toothbrush from the firehouse.  When we were at the “leave your DNA at the door meeting”, my sister had inquired about my daughters being able to go to a lab near our home to give DNA samples instead of in the  hotel ballroom. We had decided that we wouldn’t ask my 82-year-old mother in law to do this. My older daughter decided that she was going to be the DNA sample giver.

  There were 3 groups of people I had to know were okay with having a Memorial Service –  my daughters, my mother in law and the firefighters from Squad 41. My sister and I sat on the living room floor with my daughters and I would ask them “Where do you think Daddy is right now?” They both would respond “in heaven”. I would reply “Okay then it is time to have a Memorial Service.” “But what if you are wrong?” “I have no problem with your dad walking into his own memorial service but we need to plan one. And I don’t know how we are going to get through this, or birthdays, or Christmas but if a week ago someone would have said we would have to go through what we have already gone through we never would have believed them. And God has gotten us this far and He will get us through the rest.” I would have a telephone conversation with my sister-in-law and she would agree.  My mother in law had scheduled a meeting with her lawyer to change her power of attorney to her daughter so I knew she was thinking Bruce wasn’t coming home.  The firefighters were sure they would find Bruce and the other men. They spoke of voids. I told them I hoped they would find Bruce but we needed to have a service. After discussion with my family, close friends, pastor and the fire department, we decided on Saturday September 29. It was about 10 days away but that would give us time to plan and people to travel.

  At some point both of my daughters would come to me separately and ask me the same three questions. Can we still live in this house? Can we still go to EC? And what will happen when we get married?  Yes, we will live in this house. Yes, I will make sure you can stay at EC. And we don’t have to worry about when you get married because right now you are too young to get married and you don’t have a boyfriend.

   

   

   

   

  Posted in faith, memories, September 11 | 0 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, September 11

• rescue to recovery

  Posted at 7:45 pm by missannsays, on September 18, 2012

  We would be invited by the FDNY to a meeting in the city on Tuesday September 18,2001. The weird thing is there are some things about that meeting that are forever etched in my mind but there are other details  I can’t remember at all. For  example, I can vividly remember walking out of the Fire Zone, seeing a full size bus, boarding the bus and being driven basically around the block. On the other end of the spectrum, I have no memory of where my youngest daughter was while I attended the meeting.

  Squad 41 had wanted to send a van to pick us up but we decided that my bff ‘s hubby, T would drive my sister, my older daughter and I into the city. We were suppose to meet at one of the designated locations and then would be transported to the meeting. I guess the idea was to keep the press away and protect our privacy. As we approached the George Washington Bridge, I remember there were men in full military garb holding the biggest guns I had ever seen. I remember thinking “this is the United States of America; we don’t have military on our bridges.” The traffic was moving very slow. I think there was a giant flag hanging on the bridge but that could be a memory from another time.  And as I glanced at the skyline, I couldn’t figure out where the Twin Towers had stood. We discussed their placement on the island and couldn’t figure it out.  My sister commented “I thought there would be a cut out where they had been.”  It was so very strange to see the new skyline.

  We reported to the designated meeting place, we had chosen “The Fire Zone” at Rockefeller Center.  Everyone was so very kind – did we want something to eat or drink, could they do anything for us. A full size bus would arrive complete with police escort and men “talking into their sleeves.” It was like we were in some B rated movie. We boarded the bus and were transported to a hotel only a few blocks away. We disembarked, rode the escalator up to the next floor and were ushered into the grand ballroom which was outfitted with round tables and chairs. We chose a table to sit at and introduced ourselves to the other people at the table. There was a woman, her young adult son and daughter. Her husband was very high-ranking in the FDNY. There was another young woman whose fiancé was a firefighter. We compared notes on what we each knew about our loved ones and what we thought the meeting was going to reveal. I remember Governor Pataki was walking around and greeting people. He was very tall and seemed sincere as he spoke to many people.  Governor Pataki would mention  that his dad had been a long time volunteer firefighter. I remember my sister and I discussed how casually dressed some people were in comparison to other people.  There were people in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops and other people in business attire. I had carefully chosen what I was wearing.   Knowing that I was attending a meeting with the governor, mayor and chief of the FDNY, I wanted to represent my husband in a way that was honoring to my position as a firefighter’s wife.

  The whole meeting was surreal. The purpose of the meeting was to inform us that the mission was going from rescue to recovery followed by a question and answer time. There was discussion about DNA samples and opportunity to give a DNA before you left. In the years since that meeting, some FDNY widows have come to call it “the leave your DNA at the door” meeting. Sorry if that sounded really bad but sometimes you have to acknowledge the absurdity of the entire situation. My sister would investigate if there was another option of giving DNA that would be more private. She found out that we could take my daughter to a lab near where we lived which definitely seemed like a better idea.

  This would be the first time I would see the other wives from Squad 41. I had spoken to some of the other wives on the phone but hadn’t seen them until this meeting. These were women who I knew because our husbands worked together. I would have seen them maybe twice a year. But here we were “thrown together” by the most unbelievable set of circumstances. So we didn’t really know each other expect for the annual Christmas party and summer picnic. One of the other wives would comment “I will be praying for you.” And that moment I did something I had never done before in my entire life, I said “why don’t we pray right now.” She went to get her family and I went to get my bff’s hubby and announced to him “you need to pray.” This part I remember so vividly even though it seemed like an out-of-body experience – standing in a crowd, noisy NYC hotel ballroom, holding hands with my family and my Squad 41 family, T starting to pray and all the other sounds of the ballroom melting away and it was just T’s voice beseeching God for His peace and favor and thanking God for His gifts of life and love. It is one of the most profound moments of my life.

  On September 18, 2001, I didn’t really totally comprehend what “going from rescue to recovery” meant. But I did know that I needed to take the next step. We as a family needed to move from believing there would be a rescue to setting our lives for recovery. And within a few days, I would have what at the time I thought was the hardest conversation of my life. That however is a story for another day.

  Posted in faith, memories, September 11, then & now | 2 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, respect, September 11

• then and now – Sept 13

  Posted at 8:58 pm by missannsays, on September 13, 2012

  School had been canceled on Sept 12, 2001. On September 13, 2001, my daughters would choose to go to school. My older daughter, E, was a senior and younger daughter, M, was a freshmen. It won’t be until weeks later that I would realize that M had only been at her new school for a few days when September 11 happened.  After attending freshmen orientation a few weeks before school started, M had told Bruce and I that she had asked a few people if they knew E and they didn’t. And then she said “Everyone will know who I am within a month of me being there.”  And they did but not for a reason we could have ever thought of. My daughters are very different people. They are each wonderful but different. As a teacher, who had both of my daughters said, “I had E who was this quiet, attentive student and then this wind named M blew in”. I am forever grateful to the students, teachers and staff of Eastern Christian High School who made school a safe, secure place for my daughters to be as we were on this journey we never expected to be on.

  In the days after Sept 11, I would pull out my Bible to read verses that I felt would give me strength and wisdom. The first verse I looked up was Philippians 4:8 ” Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent  or praiseworthy – think about such things.” This was always called the “qualifying” verse. My girls heard this constantly while growing up. But on Sept 13, 2001, after I read that verse I looked up the page and read “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

  Today September 13, 2012, there was a memorial service for Neil Armstrong at the National Cathedral in Washington.  I watched part of it on television and saw Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, talk about his friend and the first person to walk on the moon. One think that Cernan said that really struck me was “it was never about Neil”.  Wow! that is something to think about…

  Posted in faith, respect in the real world, September 11 | 0 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, little things, September 11

• Sept 11, 2012

  Posted at 7:00 am by missannsays, on September 11, 2012

  The death certificate said “homicide”.  The FDNY said LODD – line of duty death.  Our Heavenly Father said “Well done, Bruce – welcome home.”

  Praying for the families that lost loved ones. Praying for health of body and mind for the first responders that carry on. Praying for the survivors of the WTC & Pentagon who saw things no human being should ever see. Praying for our military and their families.

  Thanking my friends and family for their love & support.

  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
  Posted in faith, respect in the real world, September 11 | 3 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, September 11, telling the next generation

• the last time

  Posted at 4:34 pm by missannsays, on September 9, 2012

  

  I don’t remember how old my youngest daughter (M) was but at some point she put a note in her father’s dress uniform hat that said “I love you Dad”.  That note is still in that hat. And that hat sits on a shelf in the corner cabinet of my “study/reading room”.  As I remember the story, M. had placed the note in the hat because her dad was attending a firefighter’s funeral. The tradition of firefighters paying tribute to fellow fallen firefighters is a long, rich not to be taken lightly duty. To be honest, I didn’t always get the “firefighter” funeral thing. I understood the firefighters need to honor their fellow firefighters and support the family.  I personally felt it was wrong for the mayor, etc to show up at funerals and speak. I felt it was an invasion of privacy. Bruce would tell me that it was just the way it was. I had told him that if he died in the line of duty I wasn’t going to let the mayor come. He told me I would have to sort that out after he was gone. It would be my problem not his.

   The last time Bruce wore that hat was the day of M. eighth grade graduation in June 2001.  Bruce would attend the funeral for one of the firefighters killed in the Father’s Day fire. He would call and say he was running late and should he come home to change and be late for graduation or just come in his dress uniform. We would decide that he should just meet us there.  There are wonderful photos of M with her dad in his uniform.

  When September 11 falls on a Tuesday, it is a little freaky for many of us. See when it is on a Tuesday you know what you were doing in the days leading up to that day that would start as such a beautiful late summer day.  The days seem to line up more easily. I am not sure why it is maybe it is just how your brain stores information.  Sunday September 9 is the last time so many years ago that I would see my husband. He was on duty Sunday evening to Monday evening and then on duty again on Tuesday for a day tour. Because his firehouse was in the Bronx, we decided he would spend Monday night and the firehouse.

  I would speak to him on the phone on Monday. I can’t remember what that conversation was about. I do vividly remember the conversation we had when he left for work on Sunday September 9, 2001. It had been a ordinary Sunday. We attended church with our eldest daughter (E). Our youngest daughter (M) wasn’t home. She was on a school sponsored trip to the New Jersey shore. We had lunch and then took a  *”Nazarene” nap. As Bruce was getting dressed to leave, he said “I am so blest”. I commented “why”. He answered “I am married to Miss Ann, we have 2 great kids and we got the trailer.” To which I responded “some people won’t see being married to me as a plus. You are right the girls are great. And yes, we had a great summer.” 🙂

   The mayor won’t be at Bruce’s memorial service not because I didn’t invite him but because there were too many services/funerals. A representative of the mayor’s office and governor’s office would be there. A little side story I would actually meet those gentlemen the day before. The day before Bruce’s memorial service we would stop by Squad 41 in the Bronx. As we pulled into the little parking lot next to the firehouse, an official looking car would pull in behind us. Two suits would get out. They were coming to Squad 41 to learn about Bruce and pay their respects.They didn’t expect to run into his family.  I had a brief conversation with them. Some time after I would receive a personal note from those men telling me how moved they had been by his service and meeting me. On September 29 we would have Bruce’s memorial service. It would celebrate his life and bring glory to our God. Both of those things were important to us. Firefighters from all around would attend. And they would be given a standing ovation has they entered and left the church. I can still hear the sound of people applauding for them. The firefighters would exit the church and stand in formation outside.  My daughters and I would walk out the side door of the church and around the corner of the building to see a giant American flag drapped between two firetrucks and all those firefighters would stand at attention as we walked by. My daughters tell me that they still remember the sound of my heels on the pavement. I actually remember that sound, too. We would re-enter the church through a lower level door and have a brief time of refreshment. Complete with Arthur Avenue cheesecake and coffee – two of Bruce’s favorites. Family, friends and complete strangers would offer their words of encouragement and support. My daughter’s friends from school, church and camp would be there to support them. The outpouring of love was amazing.  And on Monday October first, E, M and I would establish our new normal but those stories are for another day.

       *Nazarene nap – Sunday afternoon nap right after lunch and sandwiched in between morning service and evening service.*
  Posted in faith, memories, respect in the real world, September 11 | 4 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, friendship, September 11

• 11 random things I have learned since Sept 11

  Posted at 8:23 pm by missannsays, on September 7, 2012

  

  So here goes 11 random things I have learned since September 11, 2001. Some serious and some not.

  1. My dad was right when he said not to make any major changes in my life until after the first year. Good advice. The first year we were numb and on autopilot.
  2. Even after the darkness night, the sun will rise the next morning.
  3. Life is meant to be lived one day at a time. And sometimes it is meant to be lived the next ten minutes and then the ten minutes after that.
  4. Everyone has a story. And I can’t know what someone has been through by looking at them.
  5. Listening is the greatest gift you can give someone.
  6. There are some things that can only be understood by another FDNY widow. And I am very grateful for the FDNY widow friends in my life.
  7. When visiting the White House, don’t wander down a path unless you have been given permission. You may run into sniper people.
  8. David Hasselhoff is taller than he looks on TV, Glenn Close is very tiny and “Ginger” from Gilligan’s Island is way too skinny. Met all of them at the Squad 41 Christmas party in December of 2001.
  9. I have to make  decisions that are right for me and my family.  And until you have walked in my shoes please don’t judge me. I will respect your choices even if you don’t respect mine.
  10.  Squad 41 thinks I have “culture”. In March of 2002, there was a trip donated by the Paris Fire Department to spend a week in France and Squad 41 said they thought of me because I have “culture’. 🙂
  11. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

  Photo is of the flag that covered Bruce’s body when his remains were found in March 2002. The medal is the Congressional Medal of Valor which was awarded to all first responders who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. We were invited to the White House in September of 2005. Not inside just on the lawn. Still trying to get an invitation inside.

  “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” -Robert Frost

   

  Posted in daily life, respect in the real world, September 11 | 1 Comment | Tagged following Jesus, respect, September 11

• a few thoughts on Sept 11

  Posted at 10:11 pm by missannsays, on September 6, 2012

  

  When I tell my personal story while doing tours at the National September 11 Memorial for the Tribute Center, I say “there are 2 reasons I have made it through the last 11 years – my faith and the fact that Bruce was a NYC firefighter. I have never asked why because on September 11 he was doing his job. It was his job to go into those buildings and it was a job he loved.”  But I really should say “there are 3 reasons I have made it through the last 11 years – my faith, the fact Bruce was a NYC firefighter and that I am blest to have the most amazing family and friends.”

  My faith is what has sustained me through the years. God has proved that He can be trusted. He has allowed me to hide behind him. He has carried me. He has put me down to walk beside him and He has picked me up again. Bruce and I always talked about that if we truly believed what we said we believed then when one of us died it better be different, because we either believe there is eternal life or we don’t. I believe that it is only time that separates Bruce and I. And when eternity comes I will see my husband again. That doesn’t mean that I am happy that he died. It doesn’t mean that I haven’t looked towards the heaven and yelled “are you kidding me”. But God is big enough for my doubts and questions. He has given me a “peace that surpasses all understanding.” I was asked by a television reporter in December 2001 “how was I coping”. I answered “I am not coping. I am hoping.” I realized after I said it that could have become a “sound bite” that said “I wasn’t coping”. Thankful they used the entire statement.

  Because Bruce was a firefighter, I believe he died in the line of duty. He gave his life, no one took it. Whenever a firefighter goes to work, he may not come home. That is a whole different thing than your 23-year-old son was sitting at a desk and terrorist flew a commercial airliner into the building. Firefighters did their jobs that day. (As did the police officers and WTC security people) The brotherhood of the FDNY is unmatched.  I am very grateful to be part of that family. But we should not forget that there were civilians who did amazing things for each other. I believe there are wonderful stories of people helping people that we will never know because all those involved lost their lives. It has been said that “September 11 was the worst of humanity and the best of humanity.”

  I have been blest with the most amazing family and friends. People who were with me and my daughters from the beginning of this journey. People who did “all those things I couldn’t do”. People who have become part of our life since September 11 and have enriched my life in more ways than I can count.

  I am going to take the liberty of sharing a few things that I hope people realize as September 11, 2011 approaches.

  1. There are still families waiting to receive notification that their family member has been identified. 2,749 were killed at the World Trade Center in NYC. 1100 of those families have never had any human remains. All those killed at the Pentagon and Shanksville were identified – 184 and 40 respectively.
  2. There are families still being notified that “more” of their loved one has been identified.
  3. The number 2,749 does not include the homeless and probably doesn’t include illegals because that number is based on missing persons reports. The homeless had no one to file the report and families of illegals may have been afraid to file a report.
  4. That September 11 didn’t just happen in NYC but also in DC and PA.  From the first tower being hit until that same tower fell was 102 minutes. In between the second tower was hit, the Pentagon was hit, the second tower collapses, the plane crashes in PA and then the first tower hit falls.
  5. Over 1000 rescue and recovery workers have died since September 11 from illness contracted from working at the site.
  6. Many rescue workers, recovery workers and volunteers are sick from working at the site.
  7. I want you to know that when you hear of some tragic event in your town, state, country or around the world don’t doubt that there is something you can do. I know that people’s prayers, cards, and donations made a difference because I was the recipient of prayers, cards, and donations from friends and total strangers. And I can tell you those acts of kindness made a difference to me and my family.

  Thanks for “listening” and don’t forget to hug your family and friends and tell them that love them 🙂

  Posted in faith, September 11 | 1 Comment | Tagged following Jesus, September 11

• what if…

  Posted at 1:08 pm by missannsays, on July 4, 2012

  This is really a continuation of my last post – Respect in the Real World -4th of July & book club.  At book club, one comment that was made more than once last evening was “I wonder what I would do if…?”. I don’t think we can know what we would do in any given situation until we are in that situation. Projecting what we hope we would do isn’t necessarily helpful. I feel knowing what we believe, what we cherish, what to us is not negotiable is of utmost importance. But until we are in a situation we can’t know what we will do or how we will react.

  I remember hearing a story about Corrie ten Boom about what if…. I don’t remember the whole story but the part that has stuck with me and I tried to instill in my own children went something like this: Corrie had asked her father “how will I know what to do when _____happens? How will I get through_____”. Her father told her a story. “When we are going on a journey by train when do I give you the ticket?” Corrie responded “when we start the journey, when we get on the train.” Her father stated “And God will give you what you need when you need it. He will give his grace when you need it.”

  I have a vivid memory from September 2001 of sitting on the floor of my living room with my daughters and sister and asking them “Where do you think daddy is right now?” And they answered “in heaven”. I said “it is time to plan a memorial service”. And then I said something like this “I have no idea how we are going to get through this but if a week ago someone had told me we would have to go through what we have already gone through, I never would have believed them. God has gotten us through the last week and we had moments of sadness but we also had moments of peace and even laughter. And He will give us what we need when we need it.” And He has.

  Posted in books, faith, memories, September 11 | 1 Comment | Tagged following Jesus, prayer, September 11

• totally random

  Posted at 8:43 pm by missannsays, on May 31, 2012

  • Last week on the  car radio I kept hearing this ad for a “solar energy” system for your home.  Anyway towards the end of the ad they say “call for a quote on your solar system”. So I can purchase my own private solar system? Do I get to pick my planets, and constellations  or are there set packages?  It just struck me as funny.

  • While driving home from PA 2 weeks ago, I saw a road sign that said “Keep a safe distance when following”. I understand the principle behind that and I am sure it is true while driving.  But I got to thinking about my spiritual walk and being a follower of Jesus. After pondering that for a few days, I came to the conclusion that sometimes I “keep a safe distance when following” and I probably shouldn’t.

  • This past weekend my sister and I had to sort through stuff at my parents. (See “It’s on the Ho Chi Minh”) We needed to get some personal items out of my dad’s totally out of control library. Imagine floor to ceiling books on shelves going in every direction and some have collapsed.  We weren’t even sure where the light switch was. Well, I tried to talk my sister into letting me video tape her crawling in and over and around stuff so we could put it on YouTube and then it could go viral.  She didn’t like the idea but I was really laughing at the whole concept. She finally said “Wow!! You are cracking yourself up.” Which I was and I think the reason the whole thing made me laugh so hard was I barely know how to video using my phone, I don’t know how to put something on YouTube and I am not even sure I understand what going viral means. lol

  • I have discovered a couple of ways to guarantee that the traffic jam you are caught in will start moving. The first way is deciding to put hand cream on your hands. As soon as the lotion is on your hands but before you can rub it in, the traffic will start to move. The second way  is deciding you want to take a photo of 1 WTC.  Open your window, get ready and as soon as you go to hit the button the guy behind you will honk. Works every time.

  

  Posted in daily life | 0 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, little things

• Driving home in the light

  Posted at 11:06 pm by missannsays, on May 23, 2012

  I like when I get home from church on Wednesday nights and it is still light out. At 8:00pm in the winter it is dark but this time of year the sun hasn’t set yet.  It seems like I have more time. Once while I was teaching a kindergarten ballet and gymnastics class a concerned student stated “Miss Ann, I think you have kept us at dance too long because it is dark out”. After a quick lesson on the concept of changing the clocks and reassuring her that mom would arrive to pick her up at the regular time, class continued.  A side note: when I was in Alaska, the time change and the extended hours of light were annoying. I never knew what time it was. But usually I enjoy the extra hours of daylight especially when I am driving home.

  When my daughters were young, they would come to the studio after school. And depending on the day they may stay until I finished teaching or Bruce would pick them up and take them home. One Monday evening, Bruce came to pick up the girls and my youngest really wanted to stay. After some “discussion” she did go home as planned  which was good because the experience I had on the way home would never have happened if she had been with me.  It was in the late Spring so it was still light out and I was glad to be driving home in the daylight.  My route home that evening was Route 208 North, over Skyline Drive and then around the reservoir heading towards Greenwood Lake.  There isn’t usually traffic that time of evening. Unless it is in the winter and there is snow this is a pretty boring drive. So imagine my surprise as I rounded the curve and there is a car stopped on the side of the road and a woman is standing in the lane waving her arms. I drive around her and then pull over to see if I can help. I know nothing about cars but really felt I should stop.  Well, this is where it gets interesting. She says she has run out of gas.  There is a gas station just a little further down the road so I say I can go get her some gas.  The only problem is she has no gas can and no money. I only have a few dollars in cash but offer to go buy a little gas. I do notice that there are random items on her backseat a hose, tape, clothing but I don’t think that much about it.  Sometimes the stuff on my backseat may make people wonder. Anyway, I head to the gas station but the gas attendant won’t let me borrow a gas can so I can purchase gas.  I finally talk him into letting me borrow the gas can and promise I will bring it right back. I don’t remember what I said but I do remember the rest of the evening. When I get back to her car, we put the gas in and the car still doesn’t start. And suddenly the woman burst out “I can’t do anything right. I was parked over by the reservoir, trying to kill myself and I ran out of gas”.  My first thought is “Oh my, I am in way over my head”. Think, think…

  Another car stops to help but I have a weird feeling about the guy so I inform the guy that we are okay and I offer to drive the woman home. “First, I have to return the gas can and then I will drive you home.”  I drive to the gas station, return the gas can and then tell her I need to call my husband.  This was years ago so there weren’t cell phones.  There was a payphone.  I call Bruce and say “I stopped to help someone and she was trying to commit suicide and you need to get her some help”  So he suggests calling our pastor but I remind him that Pastor Steve is away.  think, think… I ask him to go on our second line and call friends we have in Ringwood and ask them to call their pastor. So I am on one line waiting for Bruce to call friends on the second line and this woman is in my car.  And it is getting dark. Long story short, I tell the woman I haven’t eaten dinner and we go to MacDonald’s where my friend and her pastor are waiting to help. My friend’s pastor speaks with the woman, suggest that she seeks professional help and offers to pay for her to go to counseling.  She can’t believe that someone will pay for her to get help.  He gets her contact information and says he will call her tomorrow. And then I drive her home. The whole evening was like an out-of-body experience. As I drove home I was totally humbled. I don’t usually stop when I see someone stopped on the side of the road. I usually pray for someone to help them but this particular time I guess I was the one that was supposed to help.

  Posted in faith, memories | 0 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, little things

• Follow Blog via Email

  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  Email Address:

  Follow

  Join 674 other subscribers
• Follow Miss Ann Says on WordPress.com

• Recent Posts

  • Exploring
  • Dinner with friends
  • Panic to peace
  • An example to follow
  • A mouse in the house

• Archives

  Archives Select Month June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 September 2019 August 2019 February 2019 January 2019 September 2018 February 2018 December 2017 September 2017 August 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

• Categories

  Categories Select Category books daily life faith kid stuff memories relationships respect in the real world September 11 then & now Uncategorized work in progress

• 9/11 Tribute Center 911 Tribute Museum Anne of Green Gables Appalachian Trail apple atore autumnal ballet Bill Bryson books Brussels cancer Christmas circus community Concert for New York City Corrie ten Boom counterculture David Bowie Department of State Downton Abbey Dunkin Donuts Facebook faith family FDNY following Jesus friendship frozen meatballs gated communities Halloween heart monitors Home Depot home improvement projects Hope iPhone Japan kid stuff le leche little things love story Mennonite Merchant's House Mr. Spock museum National September 11 Museum NYC pandemic Paris peace peer pressure prayer randomness random thoughts reading list real estate respect Seattle September 11 Shop Rite speaking Star Trek switch plates television telling the next generation terrorism The Whitney tours travel travel thoughts twilight zone walking tours writing

• latest tweets

  Tweets by avanhine

• December 2025

  M	T	W	T	F	S	S
  1	2	3	4	5	6	7
  8	9	10	11	12	13	14
  15	16	17	18	19	20	21
  22	23	24	25	26	27	28
  29	30	31

• Search for: