Well, it seems to be that time of year again. Time to update
the blog. I won’t even make excuses anymore.
I feel I need to preface this post with a little disclaimer.
Because I over-think everything, I’ve been hesitating on posting this. But I’ve
wanted to write about it and share it but I‘ve held back because it is so
personal. And sharing on Facebook seems almost tainted now; It’s marred by complaining and over sharing. My intention is to do neither. I guess this
is a way of processing. Grief is a funny thing.
A little over a month ago, I received a phone call that my
mother wasn’t doing well. And I thought she was going to die, that seemed to be
the general consensus.
I’ve been expecting this time to happen for over eight years
now. I’ve thought about it almost every day. I’ve wondered where I will be, and
what I’m doing. Who will I be with? Will I be able to excuse myself before I
break down or will the news crash over and consume me? Two months ago I would
have told you that I was ready to let her go. That she would be better off in
Heaven than here. She would be free. And I still believe this, but facing the
prospect of life without my mother is hitting me full force. Even though she’s
spent 1/3 of my life in a hospital or care home of some sort, she was still
there. I could go to her and talk and cry and just be with her. And now, here we are, close to the end. And every morning I
wake up and wonder if today is the day. And every day is a fight to trust the
Lord. And that, my friends, is the other side of things. Trusting the Lord.
Because in all the perceived chaos, He has been right here, orchestrating every
minute. I find myself challenged in a way that I haven’t been before. There has
been a lot of hurt in my life. But looking back I could always see the good
that came out of it. But right here in this moment, I see my tiny mom, and she
can’t talk with me like before. And she doesn’t look at me like before. And she
can’t hug me like before. And she won’t. Not on this side of heaven.
I don’t understand God’s plan. It confuses me, to be honest.
And there are moments in the midst of that confusion where I get angry and
frustrated and it kinda ruins my day. But then I get to see how easily swayed I
am. And how quick I am to turn on my God, my one consistent. Is it not during
these times, which it counts? When I need to put my money where my mouth is?
Growing up, my mom would always quote Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
In my angsty teenage years this would
drive me crazy. Because I looked around at our life and thought “how is this
good?” All I saw was pain, abandonment and disappointment.
My mom didn’t have the easiest go of
it. It just seemed like it was one thing
after another with her. And yet, she never wavered in her faith. She never
stopped praising the Lord for His mercy and grace. I found a letter she wrote
to my father, forgiving him. She said that every time an angry thought entered
her mind, she would pray about it and give it to God. And day-by-day it got
easier until finally she could let him go and forgive.
So, I find myself here, trying to make
sense of it. And I can’t. And I probably won’t. Not for a while at least.
So, where am I going with this?
I think it’s incredibly easy to get mad
and get sucked into a sneaky hate spiral. Consistently turning to God for peace
and strength is hard, because it’s not something that you have to do just once.
Not for me. It’s a daily thing and sometimes I can’t even do it. And that’s why
I’m thankful for a God who knows my heart. But better yet, he knows His plan.
And these aren’t just cliché Christian sayings I’m throwing at you. It’s truth.
I’ve realized that every day is a choice. Do I listen to myself or God?
I don’t have a neat way of tying this
up…so I will just ask for prayer. This is one of the most difficult things I
have and will face. This is my mom. Pray for her, that she will have peace and feel
the presence of the Lord every minute of every day until she goes home. And
please, pray that I will choose God and His peace, and go on His strength, not
mine.
