This evening Brandy came home from work with a headache.  We had actually had a very strong disagreement earlier due to me not wanting to do something she wanted me to do.  I picked her up from work with some Tylenol and water, and took her home.  She told me she had a headache like never before.  I suggested she lay down and Ed and I would go walk without her.  She said she was hungry, so I made her some soup and then Ed and I were out the door.

 

We walked up the street, and decided to stop at Jack-in-the-Box for a bite to eat.  At the counter before us was a man of middle eastern decent who seemed a little agitated, but I didn't give it much thought.  Ed and I ordered and sat down.  The man received his order and took the table directly next to ours.  The store was completely empty and Ed and I sat next to the wall, so needless to say this was a little odd to me.  I noticed while we were sitting there waiting for our food that he seemed to be watching us.

 

Our order came up and I sent Ed up to the counter to get it.  He came back and I indicated to him that we needed to give a prayer of thanks for our food.  We gave a normal blessing and began eating.  At this point, then man asked if Ed was my son.  I smiled and said indeed he was, to which he addressed Ed saying that what I was teaching him was a good thing.  I just smiled and went back to eating.

 

The man then said something else, but I missed it.  At this point, I wiped my mouth and turned to address him directly...no need to be rude.  I asked him to repeat himself, and he asked what I thought about death.  Needless to say, this wasn't the normal type of conversation you would have out of the blue, but something told me that this was a conversation I needed to have.  It must have been a combination of the Holy Spirit and the look in the man's eye, but I said that I believe in an afterlife and that our souls were eternal.

 

This was his cue, apparently.  During the course of the next hour plus I learned that his name was Sunny, and that he came here form Pakistan.  He had just recently lost his cousin to a heart attack, but the man he lost was far more than just a cousin to him...he was like a brother.  

 

Aziz was his name, and form his description, he was the kind of friend anyone would treasure to have.  Sunny's family was middle class, and his father died 13 years ago.  He was left to provide for his mother and younger brother.  Aziz was much better off, having his own business.  He was in import/export and had done a lot of work for the American Consulate there in Pakistan.  The majority of his business came from US exports, but he had built his reputation as a fair and honest man and as such the Consulate helped him keep a very steady stream of business.

 

Aziz's own family, however, seemed much more like the family of Job.  While Job worked hard and was a generous man, his family took him for granted.  Aziz, for his part, did many good things not only for Sunny but for his community.  He gave $100,000 to help build a church and several hundred thousand to help the local hospital.  He helped Sunny's family into a house and helped Sunny get to America where he got a good education and could make money to help his family out.  

 

Unfortunately, 9/11 really hurt Aziz's business...which lead to health problems and stress.  These factors didn't work in his favor, and our Lord called him home three months ago.  Sunny was devastated, needless to say, and confessed that not only he, but his mother and brother was contemplating suicide.  The didn't know how to deal with a world without Aziz.  Compounding this was the fact that he hadn't been on the best of terms right before Aziz died, and he was angry with him for what he thought was foolishly throwing money away on other people.  Sunny was also very angry with God, as I was when I lost my father.  

 

I listened as Sunny unburdened himself to me, and gave comment when he asked for it.  Finally he asked me what he should do, and I simply had this to offer to him:

 

First, when he was ready to let go of his guilt, he had to forgive himself.  No healing would come to him until he did.

Second, he needed to pray for forgiveness from God and to ask for God's help and healing in his life.

Finally, he needed to pray for forgiveness from Aziz himself, and to ask him to intercede for him before our Father.

 

I do not know how this touched his life, and I doubt I'll ever know how things turned out, but I made a promise to him to pray for both him and Aziz, so here is my prayer.  Please say it with me, as every soul is sacred to our Lord.

 

Oh my Lord Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God, I offer up to you the suffering and sorry of my friend Sunny.  Please help him find the strength and courage to let go of his grief.  Fill him with Your grace of love so that he might forgive himself.  Lord forgive him for his failings and pour out unto him Your blessings.  Chist Jesus, I also ask for the intentions of his dear friend Aziz.  May his soul join You, our Father, the Holy Spirit, our Blessed Virgin Mary,  and all the saints and angles in Your eternal glory.  May Aziz remember those lives he touched on earth and may he have the courage to stand before You on their behalf.  God you are truly merciful, have mercy on Sunny and his family.  Hold them in your unending love so that they might find healing and meaning in their lives.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit we pray.  Amen.

 

-Randy