Laverne and Belveia - Southern Region

Laverne and Belveia

The Vocation of Friend

Pastors have the honor, joy, and heartache of sitting next to those who are dying.  We all are dying, but I mean the ones facing death head-on.  

And when you are married to the pastor, you and your children will be seated alongside your husband many times.  It is joy and sorrow at its best - the death of a Christian. 

Obviously, the greatest joy in sitting next to that bedside is knowing death has no power over this person, because Christ has defeated death for her.  Her confession of her sins is met with full absolution from her risen Lord.  Thanks be to God!

The next greatest joy is watching God care for her through the hands of all those He has placed in her life.  I have had the amazing honor of watching this happen with my dear friend, Belveia. 

As I sat with my husband, our two toddler sons, and infant daughter, I watched as two lifelong friends laughed and talked as if they were sitting on the front porch, taking in a cool breeze. 

But they weren't.

They were in a Hospice facility.

One laid back in a bed and one with her guide dog cozied in next to her.  

Belveia and Laverne (sometimes referred to as Laverne and Shirley in our congregation) are women in their seventies, both blind since birth, who have been friends since they were six and seven years old.  To hear them tell their story of friendship is like listening to a couple who has been married for 60 years. 

Apparently Belveia has always been a storyteller - ever since her and Laverne met as children in the school for the blind.  There were no options for mainstream schooling when they were young.  They lived and learned away from their parents at a boarding school for twelve years.  

Belveia quickly felt the isolating and cold nature of such a school, and she was determined to befriend Laverne the next year when Laverne moved in.  So, Belveia entertained all the school children with stories, riddles, and songs - anything to fill their days with joy.    

As they laugh, they relive the stories of their younger days - how they loved riding bikes, roller skating, and running around the lawn "bouncing into everything, because we couldn't see where we were going."  I ask, "So, um, how do blind people ride bikes?"  They laugh and say, "Well, not very good...that's for sure."

They finish each other's stories and laugh before the punch line gets there.  

They are friends, but much more than that.  

They are sisters in Christ - given as gifts to one another in the vocation of friend to serve and love as a mask of God in this world.  

They share the challenges and joys of marriages and raising children.  Laverne's daughter is in the Hospice room visiting, as well - almost daily visits occur this way.  Belveia is her godmother, a constant fixture in her life.  As her mother and godmother share stories of raising children while being blind, you can see the tears form in her eyes.  She laughs at their joyful stories as she continues to massage Belveia's legs.  

You can tell this is love.

They tell me how they came to our church 14 years ago because it was the first and only place of worship where they ever felt completely comfortable.  

Abundant Life Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC, was started 14 years ago with Blind Mission as a focus - guide dogs are welcomed, Braille and large print bulletins are provided (complete with hymns, all prayers, etc.), and people of all abilities and all races are considered family.  A significant portion of the current membership is blind or sight-impaired.

Being Lutheran didn't mean much to them at the time.  They had been Christian and attended church somewhat regularly throughout their lives, but really they just wanted a place to fit in.

A place where they could sing the hymns because they could read the words.  

A place where they knew when to stand or sit because of the liturgy.  

A place where people would see them as just another person.

A place where they didn't have to figure out how to tell someone what assistance they would or would not need.  

A place where people felt comfortable embracing them during a sharing of the peace.

Along the way, they learned what it meant to be Lutheran.  Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and confession and absolution took on new and clearer meanings.  Christ, in His mercy, used a small little congregation and her pastors to give out His good gifts to these two friends.  

Pretty amazing stuff.

To hear Belveia tell it, she was an "old seven" and Laverne was a "young six" when they met.

Since that moment, she has always wanted to take care of and protect Laverne.

Now, Laverne sits next to Belveia's Hospice bed praying for God to heal and comfort her.

Friendship at its finest.  

Thanks be to God for the vocation of friend.

Written by Kelly Stout-

 Journey of Faith blog writer.