I went to see my 87 year old mother today. She resides in a local nursing home. I had a couple of revelations while I was there. She told me that she doesn’t think she gets those types of revelations. I’m wondering if she does but may just not get as excited about it as I do. I’m an emotional person. I seem to live in my emotions and I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. Hmmmmm…I guess when they’re good, it’s a good thing!
My mother is not in good health. Along with having the physical results of 3 strokes she now has numerous maladies from being down for so long. She hasn’t walked since her gall bladder surgery of March, 2009. She shares that she is in resultant pain and/or discomfort most of the time. It wasn't easy dealing with her but many times God gave me a picture of her in my mind's eye as though she were a wounded animal due that she also has dementia so she could not always think clearly.
I can tend to be in quite some pain due to all of the past accidents I’ve been through, not just with my back (which is the most severe) but throughout much of my body. But, when I do my artwork, there seems to be no pain or at least not enough to bother me! I was sharing with my mom that she needed to get involved in activities in order to distract her from those painful thoughts. And, I really believe that the Holy Spirit was reaffirming to me that He doesn’t always take the pain away, but makes it easier to bear so we will not be tempted to complain, get angry, get distracted from doing good, etc. *1 Cor. 10:13 “ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
I went on to share more with her and I’d thought that she seemed happier at this nursing home than she was in the past but she shared with me that she’d just given up hope. She didn’t care anymore. She shared that she lacked purpose. So, I shared that I would pray for her and also shared *James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
And, yet another thing came to me. She has had trouble with many caregivers over the past few years, complaining about most. I asked her if she still prayed for them (she was doing this at one time) and she told me that she’d stopped because it didn’t seem to do any good. She prayed for me for 28 years before I rededicated my life to the Lord and turned from my wild ways, which I reminded her of. What if she’d stopped? Maybe I wouldn’t be so different right now? And, I also shared this scripture with her: James 4:2b “…you do not have because you do not ask.” And Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” What do you think?
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