I don’t want to know anymore (part I)

 

One of the hard things concerning Mom’s health worsening is what exactly I should tell my children.  I had just told them about the feeding tube and if she was in the hospital they may not be able to see her.  Ashton told me I could videotape her then show him the tape so he could see her. 

We read the kids their devotion tonight, and the story was about Sapphira and Ananias being deceitful.  The result was they both died.  Afterward, Lauren asked to see the devotion book.  She took the book and looked over it for a few minutes.  She said she did not like the devotion because it reminded her of Granny (because they had died).  When I went into her room to tell her goodnight I wanted to update her on Mom’s condition and prepare her for the upcoming week.  When I started speaking she replied, “I don’t want to know anymore.”  She knew it wasn’t going to be good news and would rather block it out instead of hearing what I had to say.

U   Have you put careful thought into telling children information about the loved one?  U

U  Are you being careful not to bring up conversations about the loved one around a sensitive child?   U

I talked with Joann today so I would know all the ins and outs about Mom.  She said Mom had not left the house since she got back from the hospital.  Mom now has a hospital bed at the house and uses a different room to sleep in.  The room has Mom’s bed, Dad’s single bed, and a few chairs for the visitors that come to see her.  A few people from Mom’s church came over today and did a short Sunday school lesson and sang a few songs.  Jamie told me the people from Mom’s church “were loving on her”.  She said someone had manicured Dad’s front lawn while they were gone.  One morning, Dad went to get the paper to notice someone had already gotten it for them and also dropped off some Danishes at the back door.

Joann said Mom basically stays in her pajamas when people come over to see her.  Joann went through Mom’s pajamas and threw out the old and yucky ones.   She bought her some new ones Mom could wear as visitors came by.  She even offered to get her dressed to wheel her around the block, but Mom did not get out.  I asked her if Mom went to church.  When Jamie asked Mom if they were going to church, Mom responded in a way that sounded as if it was not an option.  She said Mom has never taken her wheelchair into church, so she did not know if Mom was embarrassed or what.  My goal this weekend is to get Mom out of the house.  I want to build up her time out of the house, so she may consider going to see, The Passion, with me.

Note:  Photo by my daughter Lauren Glenn.

What was God trying to tell me? (part II)

 

The devotion book I am going through has a prayer at the bottom of the page.   On February 23^rd, the prayer stated, “Oh Lord, you have done many miracles for us.  Thank you that your plans are bigger than all of us put together!  How I praise you for your wonderful deeds!”

On this same night Paul read the kids their devotion, and it was concerning Jesus healing a blind man.  At the beginning of the devotion it read, “Are you willing to stand for something you know is true, even when you’re the only one standing for it?”  One thing I have to be very careful with is even though I have a lot of strong Christians telling me what they think, I have to have faith and believe.  I can’t take what they say, even though I hear it audibly, over what God keeps telling me.

Tonight, (February 24^th), I went to a FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) banquet.  Before the featured speaker spoke, the people involved with FCA were sharing what was happening with FCA in their schools.  One particular man spoke then told about his son and how he was healed of cancer one month after he had been diagnosed.  He spoke of the “great physician” and playing baseball with Lou Gehrig.

One way Mom could to be healed and would be a great testimony, would be for her to go to see the movie, The Passion, and for her to walk away from the movie healed.  I heard a deaf girl in the movie was healed on the set.  Just this morning, I overheard two students talking about the movie.  I did not hear the beginning of the conversation, but one student poked fun at the notion that people in wheelchairs aren’t going to just pop up and walk away from the movie.  I wanted to make a comment to him but did not.  If that is how God wants to draw people to Him, He can.  He can do whatever He wants, and I would love if that happened to Mom.

Jennifer is going to Mom’s house, and I told her I wanted her to take Mom to the movie.  It was my birthday Saturday, and I wanted her to take Mom to the movies as my birthday present. 

Fuller, Cheri. The One Year Book of Praying through the Bible. Wheaton: 

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2003. February 23.

Persegheti, Jackie. Caution:  Dangerous Devotions. Colorado Springs: 

Chariot Victor Publishing, 1995. 86.