God is Protecting Me: An Interview with Arrolene Burrell

Today, I introduce you to the third of my four friends who shared their stories at College Church of Christ Ladies' Night on Sept. 5. Arrolene has the gift of making us all laugh as she shares her story.

"God Is Protecting Me": An Interview with Arrolene Burrell

Arrolene and Robert (Bobby) Burrell were married for 41 years. Bobby had been retired for 8 years, Arrolene for 7 years, when Bobby passed away in September, 2012.

Bobby had been diagnosed with cancer when he was 25 years old, so Arrolene felt truly blessed to enjoy his company for so many fine years!

They had one daughter, Aris. Aris was 3 years old when Bobby was first diagnosed with cancer. Arrolene remembers praying to God that she did not feel ready to be left alone to raise this 3-year-old daughter. Bobby lived until Aris was 33 and had two children of her own! Aris is now expecting her third baby.

After 41 years in a happy marriage (both of them were lucky enough to be on the same sleep schedule--night owls who liked to sleep in during the morning hours!), you miss a lot of things about a person.

Bobby always took care of car repairs and filling up Arrolene's car with gasoline. After he retired, he became quite the gourmet chef, preparing meals that were both delicious and lovely to look at! It eventually got to the point, when Arrolene entertained women from one of her organizations, they would just call up the stairs, "Thank you Bobby!" Everyone knew it was he, not Arrolene, who had prepared the meal!

When Bobby was in UCLA's Medical Center, Arrolene began to realize that she was going to have to find a more economical way to travel back and forth from her hotel than using the taxi. So, by herself, without the help of a girlfriend or anyone except God, she taught herself how to use the Los Angeles Metro blue bus system. 

"One day I got on and paid my 50 cents fare for passengers who are 55 and older and the bus driver looked at me and pointed to the sign that said, "55 and older" with a suspicious look. He didn't come back and talk to me or anything, but when I got off the bus, I showed him my driver's license to show I was an honest woman, and a few years past 55!"

Arrolene was able to stay at a place called The Fisher House, which is provided for United States veterans and their families. This also saved expenses.

Bobby had the "gift of knowing that it was his last night on this earth," Arrolene recalled. "He knew the machine had been turned off and by this time tomorrow, he would be with his Heavenly Father. Very few people have that gift. On that night, those two grandchildren were on the bed with him talking and hugging. The children were on their best behavior. It was like a picture book! At Bobby's funeral, his 4-year-old grandson, Jaden, was a pallbearer alongside his daddy, David Shabaglian. Little Jaden was so poised and mature that day!"

Arrolene had been afraid of funerals ever since her father died when she was a little girl. She stood in the bathroom on the day of Bobby's funeral, thinking, "I can't go." But she knew she had to because this was her husband.

"I felt so much better after I went. Here, all these people came out on a Monday afternoon to say all these wonderful things about my husband. Even though I was married to him, I didn't know all of the wonderful stories people told! And this wasn't even our home town, like Memphis, Tennessee, or Mt. Vernon, New York. We are transplants to California!"

Arrolene said all her family was amazed at the wonderful job Pat McKenzie and her crew did of organizing the meal after Bobby's funeral service. "I was going to have it catered so I could be sure it was high quality," she said, "but Pat McKenzie assured me that she and her crew would take care of things! All the relatives from the South and the East and everywhere else commented on the food and fellowship and how good it was. That was the hit! I really want to thank Pat McKenzie for that!"

Since Bobby's funeral, Arrolene has been more "at peace"with attending funerals and has done so for several of her friends.

There is no question, the dark night hours are the hardest for Arrolene, now that Bobby is gone.

"I am so thankful to God for protecting me. It is God who is protecting me, not my husband. I have this picture framed in my head that God has His arms wrapped around me. So I don't have to be afraid of being in the house by myself."

--Posted by Mama O.