When Will I Learn?

Have you ever felt like a big fat failure? Maybe you haven't. I have, and did again just yesterday.

A neighbor called me with some information she wasn't sure what to do with. She had just run into another neighbor from the block down from us at the grocery store where Neighbor #2 works. Neighbor #1 asked N#2 how she was and N#2 mentioned she was better now that she was back to work. thinking she meant she had been sick, N#1 asked what had happened. N#2 mentioned that her mother passed away last weekend as tears welled up in her eyes.

Did I mention N#2 was a former Visiting teaching lady of mine?!

Yes, Say it with me: LOSER!

Neighbor #1 called to tell me this as N#2 had told her that she felt I must not have known as I didn't mention anything to her or stop to see her or even check in on her.

LOSER, double!

On my way in from running errands today, N#2's car was home so I stopped and just wanted to give her a hug and tell her how sorry I was. I know she knows the gospel and she told me she had a tender moment where she knew her dad and grandmother were in the room to take her mom from this earth. She knows, intellectually, that her mom is free from pain and her broken body. But, emotionally, she is a daughter who just lost her mom.

And she went through all this without a neighbor who loves her or her visiting teaching friend who cares.

I have so much to learn about heeding the promptings I receive. A week or ten days ago now, I had a feeling to stop in and see if N#2 was OK. There were many cars at her house and that was not a usual occurrence, but I talked myself out of it as I didn't want to intrude if they were doing a "family thing". In reality they were grieving the loss of their mom and grandmother as a family. I didn't listen then.

I hope someday I will learn and in the meantime can be forgiven for being a slacker.