Almost two decades ago, a family friend’s mother passed away on Christmas Eve. I headed downtown to my gallery on Christmas morning to assemble a condolence basket. As I was walking back to my car, I noticed a lone man standing in the parking lot looking up at Wade’s House.
He asked if I knew the young man whose photo was in the front window. I answered he was our son who passed away, and that this was his home. The man shared with me that he knew the story and asked if he could go inside and look around. As he stood in the exact spot where Wade became an angel, he asked if I would pray with him.
When we finished, he told me the house was not yet done healing. He said no matter what anyone may say, I needed to wait to complete the renovation until the house had time to process all that had taken place within its walls. It turns out this man was a priest and had come to give the Rite of Committal to my friend’s mother. I burst into tears, hugged him, and thanked him for his insight. I then locked the house, and left it to its healing.
Wade’s House – A Healing Place of Hope is now a beacon of light, completely transformed. As you drive across the Depoe Bay bridge, it illuminates with joy, peace, and serenity. I know I made the right decision and will forever be grateful to the priest who brought healing to more than one family that Christmas day.
