On this past Palm Sunday a visitor came to our church. As far as I know we had never met before her visit on Palm Sunday. She told me how I had blessed her life, and she had a gift for me. She reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. I could tell it was not a check or cash. It was an old newspaper. When I looked closer, it was from April 7, 2012. For 10 years she carried this article with her. She told me how many times she had re-read the article and how much it meant to her. She explained how it encouraged and inspired her from time to time. She had bought an extra paper for her daughter so she could have a copy of the article. I was truly humbled by her story. You never know how you may touch somebody you do not know.

This is a great story and I would like to share it with you. This is a true story from the Phoenix Times that shows the importance of showing love to the very last minute of a loved one’s life.

The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she had a strong determination to do something special. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill his dreams. Now that no longer seemed possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted some of her son’s dreams to come true. She took her son’s hand and asked “Bopsy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grow up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?” “Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman.” Mom smiled and said, “Let’s see if we can make your wish come true.”

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, where she met Fireman Bob. She explained her son’s final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, “Look, we can do better than that. If you’ll have your son ready at seven o’clock Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you’ll give us his sizes, we’ll get a real fire uniform, with a fire toy truck with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They’re all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast.”

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from the hospital. When he came out there was a fire truck waiting to pick him up. Bopsy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He felt like he was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Bopsy got to go.

He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic’s van and even the fire chief’s car. He was also interviewed for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that they lavished upon him, so deeply moved Bopsy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible,

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse who believed in the Hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Bopsy had spent as a fireman, so she called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bospy as he made his transition. The chief replied, “We can do better than that in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It’s just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time.” About five minutes later a hook and ladder and fire truck backed up to the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy’s third floor open window and 14 firemen and two firewomen climbed into his room.

With his mother’s permission, they hugged him and held him and told him they loved him. With his dying breath, Bopsy looked up at the fire chief and said, “Chief, am I really a fireman now? “Bopsy, you are, “the chief said. With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his eyes one last time.

My heart breaks for all the men, women, boys, and girls who had to die alone without their families. We thank God for the doctors, nurses, and staff that did their best to stand in for the family. We can still learn from Bopsy that it’s never too late to hope for your dream to come true. Keep looking, keep hoping, and keep believing! Remember like Bopsy your dreams really can come true. To me, that is what the Easter Season is all about, that even in death there is hope. To those of us who believe in God we have the great hope of life even after death. That death is not the end of the dream, but the beginning of a new one. That is the message of Spring, Passover, and Easter Season.

The Rev. Darrell W. Cummings is pastor of Bethlehem Apostolic Temple in Wheeling and Shiloh Apostolic Temple in Weirton.