Sam Oliver
Mother's Empty Chair
A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother.
When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit. 'I guess you were expecting me, he said.' No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, 'I saw th e empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.
'
'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman. 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.' I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the woman continued, 'until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, 'Betty, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. 'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.' 'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empt y chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.' The minister was deeply moved by the s tory and encouraged the wom an to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mother had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?' he asked.
Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock , she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death.
Apparently, just before Mother died,
She leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?' The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.
When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit. 'I guess you were expecting me, he said.' No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, 'I saw th e empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.
'
'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman. 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.' I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the woman continued, 'until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, 'Betty, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. 'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.' 'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empt y chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.' The minister was deeply moved by the s tory and encouraged the wom an to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mother had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?' he asked.
Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock , she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death.
Apparently, just before Mother died,
She leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?' The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Elle Jordan on -
I loved that story. I don't use a chair but I talk with the Lord several times a day. I once asked my mother's priest if that was irreverant and his words to me were "Child, that is the purest form of prayer". I never forgot that or him because it was just after my father died. Both my mother and father died in peace. My prayers were answered because although they didn't go together, they went peacefully and I am sure Dad was there to meet mother. Thank you for sharing that beautiful story.
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Permalink Reply by CC LYDA on
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I have been told that Jesus is our friend and I have always tried to talk to Him that way, if I am mad at Him I yell at Him and ask Him why He did whatever it was and I now talk to my deceased husband constantly and I see him often by me or I just feel him there, but I believe Randy talks to me and visits me all the time, but if you have a friend who cares who it is, that's between you and Him. CC
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Permalink Reply by Serena Ellis on -
I really like this story. Its really touches the heart. But my mother did not use a chair. She is still with me and I really love her. I know mothers love is important to children and we can't imagine life without parents.
I pray to God for those children who lost their mom. Its really difficult time for children. Thanks for lightening good information through this story.
condolence message
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Permalink Reply by debby on
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Very sorry ! Really we feel some false illusions of presense of somebody who died recently. sympathy words
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