Yesterday, I ran into one of my gym acquaintances, a thirty-year-old named Gabe (name changed) who I hadn’t seen since April or March. This is how our conversation went…
“Hey Gabe. How’s it going?”
“I’m doing all right; haven’t seen you in a few months.”
“I was thinking the same thing. But I’ve had a busy summer. And I’m on deadline, so I’m sure I’ve been easy to miss.”
Gabe sighed. “This is the first time I’ve been to the gym since May.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” He sighed again. “Where do I even begin? I lost everything in the flood.”
“Oh, Gabe, you’re kidding.”
“No. Everything. Except for my two dogs.”
“Are you rebuilding?”
“No. I can’t rebuild. The insurance money I got isn’t enough to rebuild. They upgraded the building requirements in my neighborhood, and I can’t afford to make the changes. But thankfully… I can pay off my mortgage. I’m not sure what I’ll do next.”
“I’m so sorry, man. Sounds like you’ve been through a lot man.”
“Oh, and that’s not all, man. My youngest brother died end of last month.”
“What?”
“Yep. Twenty-seven years old. Left behind a wife and two kids.”
“Was he sick, Gabe?”
“Well, he was sick. But nobody knew it. Not even his wife. But we think he’s known for at least a year.”
“He kept his illness from you?”
“Yeah. We’re devastated. Doctors won’t release all the information that they have, so we don’t even know what killed him.”
“And you’re certain he knew?”
“We’re pretty sure. His Google searches imply that he was looking for life insurance recently. All of the bills that were in his name only, he added his wife’s name. They recently purchased a new car, and he bought that expensive insurance that pays off the car if a spouse dies. And two weeks before he died…”
Tears begin running down Gabe’s cheeks. “…he took his family on a two week vacation-one week in Disney World and another week to visit his family in Boise.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Nobody does. And to top it all off… doctors think my Mom’s cancer came back. So, as soon as I can get something done with my house, I’m moving back west.”
We chatted more about the details of his house and the mystery of his brother’s death. At some point I said, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“In light of all that has happened to you this summer, are you like, screw God, or has his presence been all the more clearer?”
“I believe in God more today than I ever have in my life.” Gabe pulled up his sleeve to show a tattoo that he’d gotten in memory of his brother. It was a cross and praying hands. His brother’s name was written on one side and scripture verse was written on the other.
“I can look back and see God throughout the whole ordeal. On Memorial Day weekend I planned to fly home. My layover just so happened to be in Colorado (an hour away from where his brother lives). For some reason, when I landed in Denver, I got this overwhelming feeling that I needed to skip the next flight and drive to see my brother instead. We spent five days together. That had to be God. My faith (he’s Catholic) is the only way I’ve been able to get through this. It’s been a hard summer. But God hasn’t left me.”
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