Christian Short Stories

Web writes: "Since I retired 15 years ago from newspaper work, I have become a novelist and short story writer. Among my efforts has been to be a Christian writer. This dear woman, who died today, was one of my proteges."

The news was shocking, sad, and terrible.

Elizabeth Fuller -- a wonderful Christian, wife of just-now-retired hospital Chaplain Harold Fuller, and a woman whom I expected would become a new Christian writer -- failed to wake up this morning at home.

Dead.

Harold Fuller telephoned Bob, a friend of mine. Bob told his wife, Ilona. She told my wife, who of course, passed it on to me . . .late this afternoon.

Tears please.

Oh! Elizabeth was so full of promise. She, Harold and I had met for lunch one day two years ago in Gresham, and we had gone over some of her writing explorations. The ingredients were there. I was willing to work with her in maybe getting something published.

We parted that way -- full of hope.

What saddened me today -- perhaps beyond the norm -- was that this promise now will never be fulfilled. She was a dear woman who was going to uphold writing as an art form and a way of praising God in this supersonic, electronic age when the obituary has already been scribbled for the written word.

She was going to start doing this soon, I expect, after she finished her
personal memoirs project.

Our plan was: She would ship her stuff to me, and I would do a minor edit, make suggestions, and then proceed to get her to send her short stories (and perhaps her poetry) electronically to an international Christian website, "Praise-and-worship.com."

What a loss to the Christian world! However, we and God know that Elizabeth is one of hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of Christian women all over the world who are loving, kind, and have aspired to be Christian writers.

What makes this event important in my life is that Elizabeth was the wife of the Rev. Harold Fuller, an ordained Baptist minister who after several years of ministry became chaplain at our local Mount Hood Medical Center, where he did a marvelous job. He retired late last year, and then helped fill the pulpit at our historical Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church after our latest pastor resigned and before our interim, the Rev. Laurel Neal, took over.

The Rev. Mr. Fuller on many other occasions filled our pulpit when our minister was out of town or on vacation or study leave. Not only did we become personal friends, but some 18 years ago we drafted him to officiate at our daughter's wedding. He accepted and did a wonderful job of blending Christ's blessings with wishes of the other family, which did not want anything to do with a church.

His wife, Elizabeth, sometimes accompanied him on his extra venues. She always lent grace and distinction wherever she went.

Once here recently -- after reading a couple of my books - she was so
enthralled with my description of a painting of a Spanish lady that graced the wall of a local bar and eatery that she sent me a gold-red-purple picture of a Spanish lady that she found in a magazine. She accompanied it with a note, saying that this is probably what that Spanish lady looked like. A wonderful gesture. I still have it. And now I will cherish it.

There is no a question in my mind. If there ever was a woman who would be welcome in heaven it would be her.

To Elizabeth we say, "Goodbye, God speed, and may God bless you." To God, we would pray, "Please welcome and look after our dear friend and your servant."

(© 2012 Web Ruble – All rights reserved. Written material may not be duplicated without permission.)