Proper 22: Epistle, Philippians 3:4b-14                               

Philippians 3:4b-14

The woman who had followed the Lord Jesus all her life with a sharp mind, full heart and busy hands had been reduced in the past months to struggling for the right words to say. To anyone. About anything. Dementia had begun its long creep and the once vibrant woman was, with still a measure of self-awareness, watching and listening to herself dwindle into a mist. Some days she would find a path to clarity, but now most days the mist was home. Her pastor updated the congregation on the status of their dear sister, Millie who spent years teaching and modeling the life of Jesus to all, but most joyfully to children. She challenged every believer to hide God’s Word in their hearts and was known by all to be the repository of Scripture treasures for those who worshipped at Christ Our King.

Pastor Stanton had faithfully shepherded Millie and her family for more than twenty years. Her husband Jack had been gone four years come June, and their three children were grown and scattered. Millie had her congregation, just a few remaining friends and her shih tzu named “Comet.” Pastor Stanton visited Millie regularly in her assisted living apartment and was greeted each visit with Millie’s favorite Bible verse on a plaque on her door, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings …” (Phil. 3:10). On every greeting at the door and now as he had to enter himself after a knock and a feeble, “Come in,” they would recite that together. Every time. She never missed a syllable. Until today. Pastor helped her through and before she was aware she had skipped a few words, he asked, “Millie, why is it that you love that verse so?” “Oh Pastor, because it takes me to my life’s great desire. To know Him. To know Him.” Her pastor gripped her hand as she lay on her sofa. With tears in his eyes, they sang together a verse of “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

The next two visits saw Millie remember less and less. “That I may know him … resurrection … may share.” The next visit? “Know him … resurr … suffering.” Pastor Stanton recalled Paul’s admonition that as our outer man wastes away our inner man grows strong. And he “forced himself” to realize this was true in the case of this dear saint.

Three weeks later after several more visits by congregation members and the arrival of her oldest, Stephanie, and her brothers Ben and “Little Jack,” the phone rang and the faithful pastor was called to her apartment  where Stephanie greeted him at the door. The hospice nurse attended Millie in her newly arrived hospital bed, Comet curled at Millie’s feet. Pastor Stanton noticed the plaque had been lifted from its place of honor. “Stephanie, your mom’s favorite Bible verse …” Stephanie interrupted, “Mom’s holding it.” Sure enough, as he looked into her bedroom, he saw Millie tenderly holding the plaque to her heart. A slight ray of sunlight was making its way through her curtains and the light spread to her hands and the verse she so treasured. “Mom … pastor is here.” Millie moved her eyes to his and she smiled with a recognition that caused the pastor’s heart to warm.

They all moved quietly to Millie’s bed. Pastor Stanton sat carefully next to Millie and with one hand in Stephanie’s and the other on the arm of one of his choice lambs, he bowed his head to pray. Before he could begin, he heard a faint word from Millie’s lips: “Him .... him … him.” It was all she could remember of that marvelous verse. The verse that had led her through all her life, every step. “Him … him … him.” Pastor Stanton glanced at Millie’s children. They heard it, too. Tears marked each face. “Him … him …” Millie was quiet. Her eyes closed.

 Him. It was all Millie needed to know.