This past weekend, I got to visit my parents again. This was my first visit with them since my dad came home from the hospital on Hospice care. To be honest, I have been so wrapped up in trying to preplan for 'that time', that I had not taken the time to step outside of my 'impending death' fraught life. The sudden loss of our beloved patriarch on the other side of our family compounded that. Everything felt whelmed with the waves of death. :'(
People would talk about praying in faith for healing and I heartily agreed. I also heartily disagreed. It is sometimes harder to talk about praying for healing when all signs point to the grave. We have to grieve a bit before we can wrap our minds around our own smallness in this vast universe.
My dad is very determined that we are to pray for his healing. I really wanted to be fully committed to that, too... but how?
It turns out that our visit was exactly what we needed! For one, this time around he wasn't near death in the way that he was the last two times I saw him. This man was my dad!! :) He was my dad in a bed that was in his own home! :) Now, it *is* somewhat sad to see your dad in a hospital bed in his own home. I'll give you that. Still, this man was wide awake! His eyes were truly open! His voice has gone, but he can whisper! :)
Oh, but he is such a beautiful man! Here is the face that I have cherished since I first opened my eyes in this world! Here are the deep brown eyes which have so carefully followed my life. Here are the big hands, which still love to hold my own. Here is the beautiful hoary head we love to kiss and nuzzle. Mom had lowered the bed rail so I was able to lean over and love on him a bit. Hubs and the girls took turns, too. :)
This was *exactly* what my heart needed! Not only was I able to see my dad alive and as well as I'd seen him in two weeks; I was able to see the sheer, raw FAITH of a spiritual giant! :)
If you have been reading these novels that I have dared to call blogs, you will know that my worst suffering has been over the crippling state of my dad. This man, however, was not suffering! He has been soaking himself in Scripture! He listens to it and watches it many hours a day. He is wholly meditating on the Word of God. He has been prayed with by so many people, on top of already spending much of his own time in prayer.
Friends, he looks SO peaceful! He speaks (well, whispers) SO much about his trust in the Lord! He looks to heaven and prays with clear expectations! :) His appetite has come back. It is small but it is there! His body tone seems to be improving in areas! He can whisper complete sentences, where he *was* down to a slurred word here and there. I am watching his faith rebuild him from the inside out!!
Yes, he is still almost completely trapped inside his own body. That is always painful to see. It is heartbreaking, really. For some reason, though, his enormous faith and spirit overcome the physical obstacles and you can still see *him* very clearly, in spite of his body and circumstances. He is there! <3 <3
There are not a whole lot of things I know for a certain in this world. This one thing I know for sure, though. My dad always has been and always will be a spiritual leader. I have so much to continue learning from him. He has not given up his faith, in any measure. He has not given up his fight!
Things looked SO bleak before. We were all slowly grieving our way to the end of this hideous battle with ALS. It isn't that way now. Now we are trusting, praying, calling upon God to fulfill His promises. Now, we are *living* again! We are committing this man to LIFE in the name of Jesus! :) :) :)
God Almighty has the final say in things. He knows how best to use my dad's life to His glory. He alone decides the number of my dad's days. Doctors do not decide this. GOD decides this. We trust Him implicitly to know that number. In the meantime, we are rejoicing through every day that we have this beautiful man to look up to. What a marvelous thing to know that he is resting and trusting, rather than suffering. What a glorious example of the peace which passes understanding! I continue to be floored by the giant who is my dad. <3
We have started a GoFundMe Campaign on my parents' behalf. Please consider sharing it on social media. :) Thank you!
People would talk about praying in faith for healing and I heartily agreed. I also heartily disagreed. It is sometimes harder to talk about praying for healing when all signs point to the grave. We have to grieve a bit before we can wrap our minds around our own smallness in this vast universe.
My dad is very determined that we are to pray for his healing. I really wanted to be fully committed to that, too... but how?
It turns out that our visit was exactly what we needed! For one, this time around he wasn't near death in the way that he was the last two times I saw him. This man was my dad!! :) He was my dad in a bed that was in his own home! :) Now, it *is* somewhat sad to see your dad in a hospital bed in his own home. I'll give you that. Still, this man was wide awake! His eyes were truly open! His voice has gone, but he can whisper! :)
Oh, but he is such a beautiful man! Here is the face that I have cherished since I first opened my eyes in this world! Here are the deep brown eyes which have so carefully followed my life. Here are the big hands, which still love to hold my own. Here is the beautiful hoary head we love to kiss and nuzzle. Mom had lowered the bed rail so I was able to lean over and love on him a bit. Hubs and the girls took turns, too. :)
This was *exactly* what my heart needed! Not only was I able to see my dad alive and as well as I'd seen him in two weeks; I was able to see the sheer, raw FAITH of a spiritual giant! :)
If you have been reading these novels that I have dared to call blogs, you will know that my worst suffering has been over the crippling state of my dad. This man, however, was not suffering! He has been soaking himself in Scripture! He listens to it and watches it many hours a day. He is wholly meditating on the Word of God. He has been prayed with by so many people, on top of already spending much of his own time in prayer.
Friends, he looks SO peaceful! He speaks (well, whispers) SO much about his trust in the Lord! He looks to heaven and prays with clear expectations! :) His appetite has come back. It is small but it is there! His body tone seems to be improving in areas! He can whisper complete sentences, where he *was* down to a slurred word here and there. I am watching his faith rebuild him from the inside out!!
Yes, he is still almost completely trapped inside his own body. That is always painful to see. It is heartbreaking, really. For some reason, though, his enormous faith and spirit overcome the physical obstacles and you can still see *him* very clearly, in spite of his body and circumstances. He is there! <3 <3
There are not a whole lot of things I know for a certain in this world. This one thing I know for sure, though. My dad always has been and always will be a spiritual leader. I have so much to continue learning from him. He has not given up his faith, in any measure. He has not given up his fight!
Things looked SO bleak before. We were all slowly grieving our way to the end of this hideous battle with ALS. It isn't that way now. Now we are trusting, praying, calling upon God to fulfill His promises. Now, we are *living* again! We are committing this man to LIFE in the name of Jesus! :) :) :)
God Almighty has the final say in things. He knows how best to use my dad's life to His glory. He alone decides the number of my dad's days. Doctors do not decide this. GOD decides this. We trust Him implicitly to know that number. In the meantime, we are rejoicing through every day that we have this beautiful man to look up to. What a marvelous thing to know that he is resting and trusting, rather than suffering. What a glorious example of the peace which passes understanding! I continue to be floored by the giant who is my dad. <3
We have started a GoFundMe Campaign on my parents' behalf. Please consider sharing it on social media. :) Thank you!
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