|
|
His prayer pager was a true blessing for Rich Grudzias.
Photo by Henry McNulty |
by Henry McNulty
CHESHIRE (04/17/2012) -- Late 2009 and early 2010 were difficult for Rich Grudzias. In November, his mother died. He suffered strokes in January and April, which left him with some weakness in his right arm and leg, and he lost the peripheral vision in one eye. He underwent physical therapy, and is now much improved.
One important part of Rich’s recovery process was the prayer pager, provided by Cheshire’s First Congregational Church UCC, that he carried with him day and night.
“It’s really something when you’re going through a tough time and the pager goes off,” he says. “It’s very uplifting – and I’m not the only one who thinks that. I had it with me one night in the hospital, and when the nurses heard it, and I explained what it was, they said ‘wow – your church is fantastic’.”
Prayer pagers are used by our church to let people know that others in the congregation have been praying for them. After saying prayers, parishioners dial special telephone numbers printed every week in the church Bulletin, and the pager puts out a beep.
“Until you’ve been in a situation where you need people to pray for you,” Rich says, “you don’t know how wonderful these pagers are. They’re worth their weight in gold.”
He is also grateful for the phone calls, cards, visits, and other aspects of parish care. “Over the years, Barbara and I have grown in faith in this church,” Rich says, “but I didn’t fully realize the resources we have until recently. I guess you don’t appreciate them until you need them yourself. We feel very blessed.”
Henry McNulty is a member of the First Congregational Church UCC of Cheshire.
