Bucks County Herald – December 24, 2008

Lisa Rush Christmas Angel

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Betsy and I’ve known Lisa and David Rush for more than 30 years. From her days as a student at Quakertown High School, Lisa has been a loyal employee at the Quakertown Free Press and McAleer Printing. The Rush’s live just two blocks from our home. You couldn’t find a more loving, hardworking American couple than Lisa and David Rush.

All that came to a terrible end on October 31 at 3:45 PM. Dave was returning from work on his motorcycle when he was struck and killed by a car on Station Road near Quakertown. He was only 50 and left his wife and two sons, David, Jr., 24, and Brandon, 20. Fortunately, they reside with Lisa, which must be a very special comfort.

Lisa’s parents live next door. She, her father, and two sons take care of her mother who is in poor health. It’s hard to think of anything more bleak at Christmas time than Lisa’s circumstances.

And then, in an instant, her life changed.

One morning last week at 6 AM, David, Jr. left the house for work. Suddenly, he returned and shouted to his mother who was just arising on the second floor.

“Mother,” he called excitedly, “You need to see something down here!”

Lisa panicked. “What is wrong,” she thought. Had young David discovered something terrible…a car accident? An injured pet?

The sun had not come up as Lisa opened the door to the porch. There, on the front lawn, was a lighted Christmas tree. Decorated with bows, the sight was dazzling in the early morning darkness.

In addition, lying on the porch was a second Christmas tree with two boxes of lights, a tree stand and an extension cord. Some time between midnight and dawn when the house was dark, a Good Samaritan had put all this together.

“It must have been done in the wee hours of the night,” Lisa told me.

An angel was here, she thought. Who did this? Lisa still has no idea about the mysterious caller…or callers. But everyone in Quakertown knew about David Sr.’s tragic accident. He had been very active in community affairs; was well known and respected.

Nothing can compensate Lisa for her loss, of course. But this act of kindness was so remarkable…so touching…I thought that you should know about it. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing what happened to you with my readers.

I told Lisa’s wonderful story to my friend, Francis Ballard. As you know, he rows with me three days each week at Boathouse Row. You get to know someone very well at 5:15 in the morning. He’s like an older brother to me.

Many of my columns have originated because of early morning conversations with Francis. Moved by what happened to Lisa, he suggested that I add this thought as we approach Christmas. It’s the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

A Google search on the Internet provided an explanation: “The prayer has many of the biblical truths of what it means to be a Christian,” Google began, “To seek to give and in so doing, receive blessings; that the Lord’s Prayer asks God to forgive us as we forgive, and that the goal of eternal life can only result from us putting to death our old sinful lives.” Here’s St. Francis’ famous prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Merry Christmas, friends. Mighty Betsy and I hope that this is a wonderful season for you and your family.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith