One Family Member’s Reflection

I've been trying to put together my thoughts about Seth, but it's hard to put into words what I witnessed during my visit. How do you describe to someone such a dramatic change in a person? I don't think you can. First, you have to have seen the old version and then you have to witness, for yourself, the new version. Back in November of 2016 I met Seth for the first time when we visited you to celebrate Jim's birthday. Seth was ill-at-ease, very uncomfortable being around people, talked very little, and I sensed he couldn't wait to get out of there and go back home. When Bob and I came back in October of 2023 I didn't see him at all. He was living next door to you but did not want any visitors. Two week ago, when you said you had invited him for dinner I was expecting an evening similar to the one in 2016. Boy was I wrong! Seth was engaging. He was sociable, comfortable carrying on a conversation, not just answering a direct question. He talked about his paintings and his new passion, drawing. He looked you in the eye when he spoke. He laughed and made some jokes. We talked about more than just his art. We talked about the one question you would ask a potential spouse. (Mine was, "Do you rinse the bathroom sink after you spit in it?") He made a comment about how he should really consider getting back inside a church before it's too late. He was confident and at ease and just a pleasure to be around. It was an altogether delightful, fun evening. But never did I expect he would let me come over the next day to see his apartment/studio. He spent time explaining his paintings, why he used the colors he did, showing me his drawings, telling what they represented, where the inspiration came from. To me the transformation is nothing short of astounding. "God works through people to get His work done in the world, including doctors and nurses." Billy Graham