Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Yesterday started with a big ugly cry, a message to my boss about taking a vacation day, and a lot of prayer. For those who don’t know me, I should explain that I am not a crier – not that I think it’s wrong or I don’t want to, tears just simply do not come. That is – until they do.
Sadly, it is time to move mother to an assisted living facility – something she has dreaded forever and never a decision you want to make for your loved one. Yet, it is the season we are in. Her name has been on the waitlist for nearly a year. I pass by the facility every day on the way to and from work, and every day, I have been praying as I drive by – “Father, please, if it is Your will and when it is the right time for her – will you please open a room and the door and help us to walk through it.” I have watched friends and acquaintances move their loved ones in, and I have rejoiced with them but also fought back envy and committed to trusting God and His perfect timing for Mom. So, I was unprepared for the shock, panic, and myriad of emotions accompanying the long-awaited call. There was lamenting and rejoicing. There was relief, and there was fear and doubt, and – there was prayer. I’m ashamed to admit there were also storm surges of panic and waves of nausea as my faith was challenged -but for every storm surge and wave, there was a peace that passed all understanding. There were words of encouragement and fingerprints of grace and mercy, hope, strength, and beautiful words of wisdom, and there was a prayer for God’s help – specifically to guide every word I spoke.
God used them all to empower me in difficult situations – I was filled with courage that could only have come from Him, and when I opened my mouth to speak to Mom – God filled it with words. Her response was a wonderful mixture of calm panic and inward resolve that flowed forth with gracious and gentle words and questions. Doubts and fears arose for sure, but God was kind to temper them with His ever-present love and peace – and when sorrows surfaced, His comfort was quick to meet them. We spent four-plus hours talking about the room and resort-like facility and envisioning which pieces of furniture to take. Our blessed conversations were mixed with tears and laughter and the repetitiveness of dementia, but I will forever cherish them in my heart and mind. I am confident that they will be a balm for my soul in the days and weeks to come of moving pieces to her new home and preparing the present house to be sold. I long for your prayers and will appreciate any and all encouragement – as each new day will undoubtedly bring challenges that call for strength, grace, and peace in great measure.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
Proverbs 3:5-6
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
In full disclosure and need of prayer
- I am, by nature, a ‘control freak.’ Though God has graciously helped me overcome this tendency and trained me to trust Him, the old nature and the need to know what’s ahead and take control of the situation is wreaking havoc within me. It is shaking my resolve to trust Him and walk through a door (one that I prayed He would open in His time and if it were His will) where I can’t see the future needs or provisions – so, will you please pray for me to stay resolved to live one-day-at-a-time and to trust Him with all of my heart and with every day of my mom’s life –
- The financial part of this will also be a challenge, so will you please pray specifically for God to stretch her monies and to keep her from needing more than the tier 1 assistance?
- My dad had put the house in a reverse mortgage situation years ago, which has, in some ways, been a blessing – but now a frustrating and somewhat urgent and detrimental problem – so will you please pray for a quick and more than profitable sale that will meet the needs of mom’s new home. – that being said, will you please pray for me and my daughters as we work every day and then, in the evenings, try to prepare mom and her belongings for the move and her house for the sale –
- Will you pray for my nephew, who knew this as his childhood home, to understand and find comfort and peace in the situation
- Will you please pray for my sweet mother to be filled with the peace of God that passes all understanding both in the move and in the transitioning difficulty that dementia can add to these situations?
- Will you pray specifically for her (and her cat) to adapt well and for her to greatly enjoy the people and her new surroundings
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Seeking to live – one day at a time –
Me – from the Insideout
Me From the Inside Out 