by Teresa Rossy
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NASB)
Finally, after twelve days, the last houseguests left, and the house was strangely quiet. No one was draped across my favorite swivel chair, munching on snacks. The electronics were silent. The evidence of what happened was put away. I could think my own thoughts, breathe deeply, sip coffee, and mourn alone. Despite being relieved to have an empty house, my heart felt empty, too. I whispered, “Lord, I would love to hear from one person today who just wants to check on ME.”
Moving slowly, I reflected on my mother-in-law’s final battle with Type 1 Diabetes. She fought for twenty-one years as a widow to remain active and live independently until her body just gave out. During the final three months, we were all caught up in a confusing swirl of hospital stays, rehabilitation facilities, a move to assisted living, and finally back home in hospice care – all with COVID-19 restrictions.
As the wife of her oldest son, I supported my husband, consulted with siblings, communicated with all of our grown children, reviewed insurance documents, met with nursing home administrators, decorated an apartment, and prayed. I continued working in ministry – so that each twenty-four-hour cycle required an outpouring of wisdom, love, care, and leadership on all fronts. Thank God that the well of the Holy Spirit’s living water runs deep. I never went thirsty, but by the time the ruckus died down, I felt like was sipping from the last drops of that never-ending supply. I needed help. And so, I whispered the secret desire of my heart to my best friend, Jesus.
For me, these precious thoughts are usually an admission of weakness or personal need. It sounded kind of selfish to say that I needed someone to check on me. But I’ve learned that my best friend Jesus wants to meet just those kinds of needs.
A couple of hours later, my phone rang. “Teresa, this is Sue Giles. How are you?” Mrs. Giles is my friend Janna’s mom. I’ve known her for more than fifty years. She lives in the same assisted living home where my mother-in-law lived for three weeks. I kept hoping to run into her there, but social distancing rules kept us apart. Just hearing her voice reminded me that deep inside my soul remains the little girl who needs a mother’s touch. With my mother-in-law gone and my own mother struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and no longer able to call me, Jesus provided a way to meet this need. After Mrs. Giles updated me on each family member (she’s so sharp!), she ended the conversation by saying, “Now Teresa, if you get depressed, just call me. I’d love to talk to you.”
What a sweet gift. Thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering another whispered prayer that revealed the desire of my heart.
Teresa serves as Director of Grow Ministries at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. Her passion is seeing persons grow more in love with Jesus Christ in a way that makes a difference in their relationships with God, self, others, and the created world. Her role in that work is teaching Scriptural principles, modeling spiritual disciplines, and equipping leaders to do the same. Teresa earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a professional certification in Christian Education through Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She currently serves as director of that program and as chair of professional certification in the Texas Annual Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Ascending Leaders.
Married since 1982 to Ken Rossy, Teresa and Ken have a son and a daughter, both married, and two grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, gathering with friends, babysitting their grandchildren as often as possible, book clubs, and walking together. They are both active in Chapelwood UMC as members and leaders.