Years ago, I was so sad when I read about this man, a well-known figure in his circle, who passed away suddenly. He committed suicide because of deep depression. He left behind a young wife and two young children.
This led me to remember one of the most meaningful conversations I ever had in my life.
I was talking to this very dignified yet pleasant lady, one time we were in London. While having breakfast together — I cannot remember how it came up in our conversation — I was shocked to find out that the lady in front of me was a suicide survivor.
She was the British lady who owned this beautiful, huge house we stayed in. We usually stay in hotels when in London. But this time we were curious to see what it was like to live in a real English house. This one accepted only guests who were recommended by people she personally knew.
So while having our coffee, I asked her to describe how it was to be depressed, and how she got out of it.
She said she was put in a mental institution for years. For her, being depressed was like being in this deep, dark bottomless pit that got darker and deeper each day. She said it was a “physically-heavy darkness.” She physically felt the weight of darkness pressing down on her body.
I asked her how she got out of the pit. She said she was given a barrage of medical treatments and lots of medicines. It was all a blur to her. But her depression didn’t lift. Until one day, a lady visitor randomly talked to her in the hospital. They became fast friends.
The lady visited her for months and told her stories about Jesus. Then later on, the lady asked permission from the doctors to bring her home with her when she (the patient) got better.
The lady brought her everywhere she went — for tea, shopping, dates with friends, the grocery, etc.
Then one day she asked the lady — “Why are you doing this for me? We are not even related.” The lady held her hand, looked into her eyes and said, “Because Jesus loves me, and He loves you, too. That’s why I love you, too.”
She said that’s when she finally understood where all this kindness was coming from.
That’s when she finally slid back into normal life, eventually went back to her own home, and opened it to Christian guests who were personally referred to her by her friends. She never advertised. She didn’t need the money because her parents left her a big inheritance.
“Guest in Home” became her personal ministry to Christians.
We loved staying a whole week at her place while we caught the plays we wanted to watch. She had a beautiful, charming, well-appointed home.
Everything smelled fresh and clean whenever we opened the main door, whenever we went into the spacious living room, the bathrooms, the kitchens. When we opened our closets, we were welcomed by the scent of sachets of lavender! There were even small perfumed sachets slipped under our pillows. Hers was the cleanest house we’d ever seen in London.
She was so kind. A real lady.
Amazing how Jesus can use simple acts of kindness to literally save a person’s life. Right here. Right now.
