The Man at the Cemetery

I was driving up highway 75 after picking up books in Dallas that had been donated for my grief support groups. I was thinking of all the things I wanted to get done today before the impending ice storm hit in a day or two. My heart became very full as if the Holy Spirit was telling me to take the time to go to the cemetery and check on my dad’s grave. I go fairly often but today I felt my heart just pulling me to go. I passed the exit I had planned on taking and instead took the exit by the cemetery.

I drove into the cemetery and all the way to the back where my dad is buried when I saw another car near where I had planned to park. The driver’s side door was open and I could her worship music coming from inside. I parked my car and I suddenly was compelled to get one of my soapstone crosses out of my bag I thought to put on my dad’s grave. I had placed a gratitude heart inside the arrangement in his urn. I figured I was going to place it next to it amongst the flowers. As I exited my car with the cross in my hand I saw a man sitting alone at a grave not far from my dad’s.

The cross wasn’t for my dad’s grave, it was to give to the man sitting alone. God placed it on my heart to share the cross with the man. I walked towards the man and he began standing up from his chair. “I’ve seen you here before. May I give you this cross?”, I asked. His response was, “That’s amazing you are giving me this cross today. My wife had a ministry before she died and she shared wooden crosses with people for them to hold.” What? Seriously? My head was racing with thoughts. “Your wife shared crosses?” I asked as he headed back to his chair to retrieve something.

He reached into the cup holder on the chair’s arm and brought back a wooden cross. He handed it to me as he instructed me how to hold the cross in my hand. I was truly dumbfounded. I wanted to share this cross for his comfort and yet this person wanted to do the same thing. He and I looked at each other in a type of amazement. Then I see something!

“Is that a rock you have placed on your wife’s grave?” I saw a rock that was fairly good size laying on the flat gravestone. It was just at the base of the urn that had flowers and a balloon placed in it. “Yes,” he said, “She also shared rocks with the words ‘turn it over’ on both sides. It is a reminder to turn it over to God.”

“Wait right there, don’t move!” I said. I immediately went to my car to show him the rock hearts I give people. I dug in my truck, none there, none in my backseat, and then I found a tiny one in my bag. It was a hot pink heart with a white flower carved out similar to this one and gave it to him.

I told him my name asked him his name and he said it was Bill and his wife’s name was Linda. He talked a bit longer about Linda, her ministry, and how the church honored her after her passing and then revealed, “This is my 57th wedding anniversary. I come out here every day except three during the winter ice storm last year.” This struck me too, we have an ice storm predicted for this week.

“This is very special that I met you today on our anniversary and that you give crosses and rocks too. Very special.” I understood what he meant. In a way, I was reminding him of being with Linda. Crosses and rocks unexpectantly on a very important day.

Linda has passed of cancer on May 7, 2020, just days before his birthday which is May 15th. I told him my dad passed away of cancer too. Hold on God, how much more can we have in common? I just knew my eyes were getting wider and wider in this beautiful Godwink I was experiencing.

I told Bill I hoped to see him again very soon. He was so pleasant and I could see God within him. He said he would hope he would too. I asked him if I could share this story on my blog and he smiled and said yes.

After leaving the cemetery, Bill was still on my heart. I wanted to go back to take him a full-size gratitude heart but I knew he would be gone and I wouldn’t be at the cemetery for several days. I finished several errands and returned to the cemetery and to his wife’s grave. I placed a beautiful aqua heart next to the “turn it over” rock. I thought it would be a nice surprise for Bill when he went for his daily visit to Linda’s grave.

Thank you, God, for giving me this spectacular blessing today. I didn’t take a picture of the two rocks out of respect for Bill and Linda. I did take a picture of the crosses and rock he gave me.