The story can’t start at the beginning because of the imperative of the shout. This woman, Paula Ann Scott DeGraffinried met cancer almost three years ago and it had already advanced to stage 4 when originally diagnosed. While the rest of the family was paralyzed in fear and sadness, Paula DeGraffinried chose life. She chose life. She chose; not the life she’d led previously. She chose a life she’d never approached before. She chose life that she’d seen others choose. She chose the kind of life that only Jesus Christ could give her and she embraced him and his new life with great passion. In fact she joined the league of elderly ladies who talk about Jesus as if they really know him. She affectionately called Dr. Jesus. Until they both decided that after almost three years of a stalwart battle, she’d had enough, she’d gotten her family ready for her departure and it was now the time on March 2 for the two of them to never part again. And the shout went out from heaven that another was coming home. And the shout went out from glory that a praiser with a new step was onboard. The shout went out from Paula when she saw Dr. Jesus for herself and realized all the pain was gone. Not from morphine. Not from sedation. It was just gone because it could not maintain in the presence of our Lord. Let the shout go out!
(I wrote this immediately when my little sister died, March 2.)
Dorothy Scott Boulware 