3:16

The last time I heard from Ruth was through a text the afternoon of her accident.   She made the trip to the Mt. Pleasant casino on “gas card” giveaway days.  She gave the cards to our grandson, Brady. Before heading to the casino, she played a domino game called Mexican Train with several ladies at the Tullymore Country Club.

Her last text read as follows:  Standing in line to get my gas card.  Played Mexican train today and won 5 out of 6 games…go figure…no money just the thrill of the win

I shared the text with Elizabeth a few days later.  She asked what time Ruth sent it.  It was 3:16. BZ’s eyes widened as she said, “That was our original address on Grand Point Drive.”  Indeed, it was. 316 Grand Point Drive was where Ruth and I moved when I took the job in Addison.  David was two and a half, Elizabeth six months, and Michael was just a twinkle in his father’s eye.

Ruth and I spent forty-three years there.  Consumers Energy changed the neighborhood house numbers as the area grew and a larger span of numbers was required.  We went from 316 to 3160 and, ultimately 15176.

I shared the story with my friend, Gary, the week before I headed to Florida.  Gary had considered becoming a priest early in life, so he said, “I wonder what bible verse 316 is.  John is the most popular book.”

I looked up John 3:16 and discovered I knew it. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  It’s the most popular verse in the bible.

My spiritual side was open to considering that Ruth’s text at 3:16, being the same as our house address, and the most popular bible verse might all be connected.  It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.  And then there’s this.

My mom purchased a Mother’s Day gift for Ruth in 1999.  She wrote an inscription.  Mother’s Day 1999  Hope you enjoy writing in this journal.  Love Mom and Dad   My dad died several weeks later, on June 27th.

I found the journal the other day while going through a basket of Mother’s Day and birthday cards Ruth had received and saved.  There are about fifteen entries written by Ruth.  I’m going to share them in a series of blogs I’ll call In Her Own Words.

The first page of the journal is called:  Personal Portrait.  This is what Ruth wrote twenty-three years ago.

These are the facts.  316 was our house number when we moved to Addison in 1977.  It was also the time she sent me her final text on September 27th.  John 3:16 is the most popular verse in the Bible, and in 1999 Ruth wrote it was her favorite Bible verse.

Perhaps it’s all just a great coincidence, but perhaps it’s not.