Millie
I first met Millie through my client, Matt . Matt had a 401(k) through me and I had made an appointment at his apartment to discuss his retirement options. Matt Introduced Millie, who was a perfect hostess. It turned out that Matt wanted to withdraw his retirement money to pay Millie’s medical bills. She was diagnosed with bone cancer. I was impressed that Matt would do such a thing and told him so.
Matt’s response was, “That’s the only thing I want. You see, Millie and I just got married. I want only the best for her after what she has gone through.”
During our conversation I found out that Millie had been divorced from an alcoholic, abusive husband. She had to raise the children on her own and had a very difficult life. She was brought up a Catholic, married in the Catholic Church and sent her children to Catholic School.
Only after her children were raised and left the house did she start to think of herself. She met Matt and they were married in a civil ceremony. Matt was a Christian, but did not attend church. Millie felt people staring at her when she went to church, so she quit going. However, it left a hole in her life that begged to be filled. I was new to the Charismatic Movement, but enthusiastic about my relationship with Jesus Christ. I ended the first visit praying with her. She thanked me and asked that I come back soon.
I was invited back to answer questions that Millie had about her faith and relationship with the Catholic Church. I learned that her former husband had died, so I suggested she consider going to confession and coming back to the Church. She and Matt could have their marriage blessed, whether Matt became Catholic or not. She agreed to make an appointment to see a priest.
At our next meeting, Millie thanked me. She had gone to confession and arranged an appointment to see a priest about getting their marriage blessed. In the meantime, they had agreed to live as brother and sister until their vows were blessed.
On a sadder note, Millie proclaimed that she would not live to see the New Year. The cancer was relentlessly taking over her body. I prayed with her and Matt. Matt walked me to the door and said that he would call again soon. It was late October.
Thanksgiving passed. No word from Matt or Millie. Finally, Matt called me the week before Christmas. Millie was back in the hospital. I agreed to make a trip to her room as soon as I could, remembering her prophetic words.
It wasn’t until the New Year’s Eve that I was able to break away to go visit Millie in the hospital. As I approached her room, a nurse came out and said, “You can’t come in. She can only see family.”
Matt appeared at that moment and told her that I was expected. Reluctantly, she let me into the room. It was already crowded with Matt, a daughter, two sons and Millie’s sister, a Dominican nun.
The daughter was pleading, tears streaming down her face, “Please don’t leave us, mom.”
The nun was silent, just watching. The sons were wringing their hands. “Don’t go, mom.”
Millie had a death mask. Her face had turned black as she strained to stay alive. There simply was no permission for her to go, although death was physically pulling at her. It was clear that Millie wanted to stay, against all odds.
I said, “Let’s say the Lord’s Prayer.”
The nun threw me out of the room.
As I left, I said, “Millie, you can go to Jesus now!”
Matt followed me out of the room and began to apologize to me. At that very second, the nurse came out saying, “She’s gone.”
Matt and I talked for a while outside the room, then a nurse came up to him and told him that he was needed to take care of some matter with the hospital.
I met Matt at the funeral and he told me that the children had gone back to the apartment and ransacked it, ostensibly taking keepsakes of their mother’s. However, a good portion of Matt’s property was also stolen.
From this experience, I believe that Millie had done everything she could to save her own soul. However, the children may not have been so fortunate. I hope that Millie is praying for them, still.
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