On Monday, I had an appointment with an elderly couple in Hillsborough who was selling their home.  I knew before I got there they had lost their daughter recently.  Judy, the realtor, had had to reschedule their appointment with me a couple of times because they simply could not get the house ready and then when they were ready, I was going out of town.  Judy said she just felt this was one she wanted to wait for me to do so they scheduled it for when I got back.  I drove there not knowing what to expect and I prayed as I do before every appointment that God would show me what He wants me to see, give me the words He wants me to say….

I got there and the door opened to a little plump short woman with a very strong Russian accent.  She was sweeping and saying something about the dust – it took me a while into this visit to pick up on what all she was saying.  Her husband was sitting in the den reading a book and shortly after I arrived, he laid back on the couch barely opening his eyes.

As I often do when the owners are home, I asked Zoya why they were selling their house and she started to tell me that they had lost their daughter recently and she began to cry.  I touched her hand and told her how sorry I was.  I asked her her daughter’s name, which was Elaine, and how old she was.  43.   I asked her how she’d passed away and Zoya said she’d had cancer for five years.  Zoya added that Elaine had three children but their son-in-law was very controlling and would not let them see the grandchildren….  I was speechless.  I asked her why and she said he told them they reminded him too much of Elaine.  BS if you ask me.  Anyway, I learned they had left their life in New Mexico to move to Hillsborough to take care of their daughter all these years and now, he’d taken away their grandchildren, so they are moving to Washington to help her sister take care of her husband who is also ill.  My heart was so heavy.  She finally tried to shoo away her tears and said she knew I wasn’t there to listen to her story, which I assured her I’d listen as long as she wanted to share, but she went back to sweeping.

I began to shoot the house and steered clear of the den because the man, who was big in stature with gray hair, like a gray haired Russian bear, when I finally had to shoot the den.  I asked him delicately if he could possibly move into another room and I’d go quickly and he gruffly said, “no.”  You could have heard crickets in the room.  I looked at him, he glared at me, I looked at Zoya who shrugged her shoulders.  I asked him if he really didn’t want to move to which he replied, “I not want to sell this house.”   Again, crickets.  We then had a quick stare off while I said a quick prayer and the only thing that came out was, “Well, if you don’t want to sell this house, you stay there, I’ll include you in the pictures, and we’ll tell buyers you come with the house.  That’ll run them off!”  He reluctantly grinned, got up, went in the bedroom, and shut the door.

As I was finishing the house, Zoya piddled and followed along behind me.  At one point, she sat down and asked me if I knew the Bible.  While I will never know it as well as I should, I said yes ma’am.  She asked me if I knew the story of Jesus in the garden and His knowing He was going to die and asking God if He could be spared.  I told her I did but she went on to describe the story specifically about Jesus crying out and God sending an angel. In the midst of this, mind you, Mr. Gruffy Bear came out of the bedroom and fussed at Zoya in Russian and I think he told her to quit her blabbering.  She shooed him away and off he went back to the bedroom.  Anyway, she then said through her tears that she’d cried out to God to send her 100 angels, even 1,000 angels, and that she then simply asked that He would just send her one angel a day to get her through this struggle.  She then looked at me through wet eyes and said she believed I was the angel God had sent her that day. Even typing this, I have to take a moment…..

After a moment of 1,000 thoughts, many of which included life is too short, why am I so stressed, I’m here for a reason, what do I do… and the list goes on, I laid down my camera and as I did, it was like He lifted and laid down with it all the menial stuff I’d been carrying like a stone off my chest.  I walked over and knelt down in front of Zoya and told her that every time I have an appointment whether it’s with a baby, a bride, or even a house, I pray that God will show me what He wants me to see, tell me what He wants me to say… and that I had prayed that prayer on the way to see her and while I wasn’t sure about being the angel part, I did believe I was there for a reason, as much for me as for her.  We cried and hugged and cried some more.

I finished that house, eventually, but left there not wanting to leave there.  I still see that little woman standing at the door waving goodbye.  Little does she know the impact she had on me that day… I just pray for her and yes, that of Mr. Gruffy Bear, in the months ahead.  I can only imagine…