By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
A small stack of old correspondence caught my attention. Why had I saved these pieces? While sorting through them, one piece elevated my anxiety level. The gracious correspondent had included what I initially thought was an original check intended for an organization about which I have written.
Marge, who lives in another state, wrote at the end of September 2022 that she had received from her sister assorted copies of The Catholic Messenger from 2020 and 2021, “which I just started to read!” She included a clipping from the Bishop’s Letter of July 23, 2020, which encouraged support for organizations that address a myriad of needs in the Diocese of Davenport, one of which Marge highlighted in pink marker.
She said the Bishop’s Letter reminded her that she hadn’t donated to the organization in a long time and asked me to ensure that her check would be credited to the organization. The check was made out to the Diocese of Davenport and not The Catholic Messenger. I took a deep breath. Had I forgotten to deliver her check to the diocese?
That question weighed on my mind last Friday night. Marge had included her phone number in her correspondence that included her note, the “check,” and slips of paper imprinted with the phrases “God bless you!” and “Jesus, I trust in you!” Would her phone number have changed by now, more than two years later?
On Saturday, I took a deep breath, dialed the phone number and heard a woman’s wary voice on the other end. Quickly, she seemed at ease when I introduced myself and explained why I was calling. No worries! The check had cleared the bank long ago and Marge had received a thank you note for her donation! The “check” I thought I had was a photocopy.
After sharing my sense of relief, she shared her gratitude for the call. Her husband had died just days before and my call provided an uplifting break as she worked her way through documents and informed various entities of his death.
Always curious, I asked how long she and her husband had been married, which led to her sharing some fond memories about him and telling me a bit about their family. We chatted for about a half-hour. As we finished up, I told her that God had nudged me to make the call, despite my reservations about how the receiver of that call might respond. I couldn’t be more grateful for the uplifting connection and she said she felt the same way.
I followed up with a hand-written card to Marge, expressing my condolences and thanking her for our enjoyable conversation. Often, I sense the Lord’s voice in the quiet, “a light silent sound” (1 Kings 19:12) and long ago learned that it is good not only to listen but to respond. An uplifting connection all the way around …
(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)
