My life is crazy... as I am sure you have figured out by now... but i love it, and you have to know that among my many blessings, one of the ones i consider to fall back on a lot is my sense of humor... Dear God knew i would need it, and my prescription of xanax. The most important blessing, is my Faith... the fact that I do believe in God, I know he sent his only son to die for my sins and that my gift of all gifts is everlasting life. I am not going to blow it, especially after the sacrifice that was made to give me salvation.
I am not a minister, I am certainly not perfect, I am a sinner and I sin often... and I know this... My eyes are wide open to the choices I make, I accept people for who they are, I know the things I have done wrong and the things I have done right. But I also know, in the deepest part of my heart that my Jesus has had a plan for me since the very beginning, I have always completely trusted in him knowing that something great was coming. I just didn't realize that it would be on a daily basis. There is a moment, every day in each or our lives to be Jesus to someone... we need to learn to take it.
Yesterday I went with my BG to pray for a friends mother that is dying. We were supposed to meet some of our ACTS girls there but things happen, and it was just the two of us...and even though praying is not new to us...leading it for a family that is accompanying their loved one on the last stretch home is not something that either one of us thought we would be okay to do. She walked into my house and the first thing she said was 'Cathy can't come, Darren is sick'...and i knew that too...but I knew Alice would be there...no problem... so we scrambled searching through books and prayers and the bible trying to find the right things to do...just in case.. But Alice, sitting in the front of the nursing home, waiting to go in, i think all i could do was think about Alice driving into the parking lot... WILLING her to be there... i looked at Christina and said, if Alice isn't here by now, something has come up because i know she would not have forgotten... So... there we went, i picked a bible verse, we grabbed some prayers I knew were specifically written for a dying person... and we went. As Christina was reading from the bible, I was trying to glance at the prayers... the last time i had read them were to a dear friend that was going home much too soon but had battled Leukemia much too long... he needed rest. and then i remembered, that there were some parts of the prayers that this family my consider harsh, because that was my concern before that although I knew sometimes things can be said one way but knowing my loving God... he wanted us to face up... but if someone was in the baby steps of their faith journey, i did not want to offend them or hurt them or make them feel like i was sitting in judgement... so i changed some of the words, I said sick person instead of dying person, i asked for healing rather than forgiveness for all the wrongs she had done and sins she had commited against our God. But I was worried that I would seem like I was telling her 'your going, better fess up now or it won't be nice' because fear is awful but God is merciful and faith teaches us that.
God takes care of us, didn't i just say that? He spoke through Christina, I felt it just as surely as I did when Cathy, Pat or Alice led us...and the BG and I know that is a definite thumbs up. The prayers were perfect, the family felt loved and I truly hope she felt peace. AND I had a brand new copy of the same book that had the prayers in it to give to the daughter, so I did, and i told her to read about the prayer and to please share them with her mom often.
I want you to think about this for a moment, think about the family you love so much, think about sitting next to them and Noahing that they were going away and there was no running, no hiding...no going back. Her sister crying reminded me of my sisters, whom I can't even have in the same room at one time without a fight or someone leaving....or not showing up knowing the others would be there. I think about the love i have for each of them and how i work on it daily because i choose to love them for who they are.
Think about your Mom, if you were an only child can you imagine how spoiled you were? Like my Noah, can you imagine the love... can you imagine the only Mom you have getting ready to leave you... how many times did she reassure you that everything would be okay, but this time how can it possibly be without her?
This family has been on my mind, I will go back again before she goes home. I cry for a mother that can't find the words to give the peace her family needs right now.
Don't waste a minute, life is to precious...
Psalm 91
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust."
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God will rescue you from the fowler's snare, from the destroying plague,
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Will shelter you with pinions, spread wings that you may take refuge; God's faithfulness is a protecting shield.
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You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,
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Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.
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Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come.
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You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see.
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You have the LORD for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.
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No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
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3 For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.
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With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
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You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.
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Whoever clings to me I will deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high.
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All who call upon me I will answer; I will be with them in distress; I will deliver them and give them honor.
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With length of days I will satisfy them and show them my saving power.
God Bless
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