Molly

Over the last 4.5 years we have painted 60 houses in South Phoenix with most of them being for seniors. It will be two years since Mr. Sanchez went home to be with the Lord. The journey with his life and family has been an interesting part of my life. After painting his house, his was our 5^th house, I purposely connected with Al on a weekly basis and brought him a burrito or he made me lunch. Over the two years we hung out he read through the Bible we gave him. It was in both Spanish and English. Mr. Sanchez’s house had an assortment of problems that the city helped fix over the last couple of years.

I will remember being called by Mr. Sanchez a couple of times when he was at St. Joes and went to see him. I was shocked that he actually had my number. I become a special friend and his pastor. He has 5 daughters and a son. It was rather traumatic when he ends back in the ER with life threatening issues. The doctors after a couple of weeks suggest he go to Hospice for his final few weeks. I will remember the argument that erupted by the sisters about this. I tried to calm them down and help them see the Hospice facility was an incredible place for Al to experience his last few days on earth with his family before going home to heaven.

We were gone on vacation when Mr. Sanchez died and missed his funeral. The aftermath of Mr. Sanchez’s leaving was a battle between one of his daughters and the other four over his estate. I have been in the middle of this the last 2 years. It grieves me that Al’s memory is being slighted by one daughter who is using God as the rationale behind her taking his truck and selling it without permission of the other sisters and also attempting to sell his house.

As I think of Molly, another one of my painting grandmas, it grieves me that as she faces going into the presence of the Lord that her daughters are doing something similar to Mr. Sanchez’s family. We painted Molly’s house a year ago. She has been on dialysis the last five years. She is also a diabetic and has had failing health for some time. When we painted her house I also had some good friends do a video that featured Molly. She said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. When asked what she thought of what we were doing she simply said, “This is beautiful!” Over the last year her daughter and her kids have become close friends.

As I received a phone call a few minutes ago and was told that Molly wasn’t going to make it I am thankful for a neighbor that told us to paint her house. We did paint her house but also put in a handicap ramp for her and another neighbor who is wheelchair bound. I knew that this call would come soon but didn’t expect it today. It is a cloudy outside with a few sprinkles so as Molly leaves this life and experiences a better life with Jesus I know that she will be all right. Yet, I also know that her daughters will fight over her house and possessions.

My hope is that Jesus words about overcoming the problems in this life will be the experience of Molly’s daughter who has cared for her over the last 5 years. I will miss seeing Molly but I know that I will see her smile in the face of her twin grandsons who are very much part of my life. I will miss you Molly!