Father, We See You in the Process

I want to write a word of comfort to the men and women of God who minister to others and so unselfishly give of their lives at the drop of a hat to those in need and yet are in need of prayer for strength to care for a sick or dying parent or spouse. We can see
Father in the process of changing us from glory to glory. Many of us have prayed for others and have seen many miracles of healings and deliverances in our ministries. We have witnessed signs and wonders as God moved powerfully through us to do a wonderful work to set others free. We have seen the sick healed, the possessed set free and delivered, as well as blind eyes opened and deaf ears unstopped. We had gotten the lame to get up out of wheelchairs and the dead raised to life. We have believed the Word of the Lord and have seen and performed many miracles, signs and wonders through our hands by the power of the Holy Spirit.

One thing for sure is that we will all walk this trek of personal trials with our loved ones at one time or other in our lives. We don't loose hope or miss a step to touch the lives of those who are suffering, although we may not see deliverance for the love one we are praying for. I have watched other friends and ministers go through the dark valleys of sickness with their love ones and even though it was difficult to watch, I could see the hand of God on their lives and in their situations. I could often see God's glory on the minister as they cared for a sick spouse or parent and then go out and preach to others. I have watched them heal others, while their loved one remained sick, but God's glory was still there. I have seen their stress, but I have also heard their resolve to serve the Lord despite their plight of sadness. I have seen sadness and joy in the same individual as they watched their love one slip away and joy as they were being sustained by the Lord.

When my dad became critically ill and began to slip away, I saw the glory of the Lord on him as he sung about going to His father's House. He had visions of God and angels and spoke of the beauty of Heaven. I was filled with joy as my father got closer to depart this world, because I knew He was going to God. He was excited and I don't think I could have held him back here if I wanted to. He was in such a beautiful place with God and being an elderly man, he wanted nothing else to do with this world. He wanted to go where Elijah and Enoch went and He had experienced the glory that John spoke of in the Book of Revelation. He was ready to go and to be released from His frail body.

How can I convey the raw emotions that goes with caring for an elderly parent who is disappearing right in front of my eyes? I don't think I want to open that box at this time. My father was ready and anxious to see Father, but my mom is in quite another state. She suffers from dementia, a wicked condition where the brain is literally shutting down. She is still physically beautiful, even in her eighties, but that is the only thing that is familiar to me about my mom. My mom had surgery on a major organ last year and came through it with flying colors and bounced back like a teenager. Everyone was amazed at her swift recovery, but the dementia remained. I am watching her gait change and I watch her do the strangest things. She can go through emotions that will break the strongest person down. There was a time I could talk to her about spiritual things, read the Bible to her for comfort or take her to the ocean, which always seemed to bring her joy. She only enjoys standing outside looking at the sky or eating a good meal now...that's it.

Early last year, I got my two brothers together and insisted that we take mom to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a family. I knew this would be the last time that my brothers and I would be with mom together on trip. We stayed in a condo in Gatlinburg, and actually arrived in the early spring when the snow was still on the mountaintops. The scenery was beautiful and perfect for us. Mom loved being with her children and smiled the entire time. We drove over the mountain to Cherokee, North Carolina, to the Cherokee Indian Reservation and my mom was as happy as she could be, as she smiled the entire time. My eldest brother held my mother's hand and rubbed her arm most of the time we walked together and he kept his arm around her in the car. We even drove to the top of the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg, where I exited the car, because I didn't think we could clear a really narrow mountain road without falling down the mountain, which made my brothers laugh their heads off. By the way, although my younger brother is a professional truck driver, I rode the Arial Tram back down the mountain. We had a great time and my mom has absolutely no memory of this trip today, nor do she have an interest in the photos. I realized this trip was for my brothers and not for my mom.

To my brothers and sisters in the Lord, who are caring for a loved one and still laboring for the Kingdom of God, be encouraged for the Lord is with you. He will be with you in this storm as He has been in every other storm you have gone through. He is faithful to see you through this and to bring you out and into a wealthy place in Him. The funny thing is, God doesn't sit us down, or take responsibilities off of us, but He gives us the grace to carry on and still care for our love one. He gives no "gone fishing" or "out to lunch" licenses to us, but He anoints us with a greater realm of faith to do what we are called to do. When times get tough, the tough gets going. God sends ministering angels and servants of the Lord to lift you up and to encourage you. God bless the men and women who step in to lend a helping hand or to be a supportive friend during these times of hardship. Be strong and be blessed, as we see God's glory in the process.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen