MANNA FROM MY FATHER’S HAND # 3
(Originally posted in late May 2023)
Continuing on with my Dad’s story….
When our Dad was first in the hospital and rehab (with what we saw as GBS), one of my sisters with her hubby went up to where he lived to be with him during that time, and then I went up for a while, sort of tag-teaming helping him through.
Finally, he was ready to leave the rehab and go home with a caregiver, and she lived with him for probably a little over a year and a half.
At first, he was in a wheel-chair, with other physical/cognitive issues, but God was good to him, helping him to regain his muscles in his legs enough to walk with a walker, and I believe not to even need it at times, as time progressed.
He always wanted to return to living by himself over that year and a half, and late last year had gotten independent enough that he started wanting more and more trials at that.
Whether that was wise on his part or not, who knows? I have a bit of a stubborn streak, and I know where I got it from;).
My sister and her hubby wanted to be able to go see him more (especially if he would be alone), but my Dad was overly afraid of Covid, sadly, and really resisted having people come visit.
In fact, as I said earlier, my assumption was that I’d never see him again, since I hadn’t had any of the shots, and if he was leery of those who DID get the shots, he’d see ME as a REAL threat….
Déjà Vu
I didn’t know this until later, but in order to alleviate those fears and get him back into his life, where he could freely have his kids and grandkids visit, he was encouraged to go ahead and get the bivalent booster (Moderna this time), which he did, fully expecting it to be “safe and effective”. Of course, that’s what they told us, right?
So who knows. Maybe it WAS safe and effective…. In remembering back, his caregiver said she didn’t recall him having any reaction after first getting the shot. And not that long after, it was coming up to the holidays, and she was planning a longer time away, with him going for several weeks of living by himself.
My sister arranged for someone in his area to come in and check on him now and then. He also had a wonderful long-standing connection with the Police Department (God bless them!), where he would call in and let them know he was OK every morning. (That’s how they found him on the floor in his earlier event, when he didn’t call in….)
So, one day, the local person came to see how he was doing, and he didn’t look very well. She convinced him to go to the ER, thinking maybe he had a UTI or something….
That’s when it all started up again. Now who knows? Yes, our Dad was “old”. Yes, I knew he wouldn’t live forever on “this side of the veil”.
A Gut Feeling
But something about the whole thing gave me a gut feeling that things didn’t have to be the way they were.
I know God is ALWAYS in control, so He knew EXACTLY when and how my Dad would die. I had for many years been preparing myself emotionally for when I would lose my parents. I knew I’d grieve, and the Lord would be my Help, as He always is.
In my gut, I think my Dad would have been one of those people who live easily until 100 or so. But then, enter in the Pandemic….
To be continued….
(Addendum, originally posted on May 31, 2023)
I will be continuing my stories about my father in coming days. I also hope (by the grace of God) to put out some uplifting content to continue to encourage the Body of Christ.
I would appreciate your prayers in that regard. In the midst of much darkness, the Light of our Savior is burning brightly in so many ways. May He shine in YOU and through you to those around you.
Today would have been my Dad’s 91st birthday. I pray that the things the Lord has moved me to do in coming days/weeks, etc. will not only honor my father’s memory, but will honor and glorify my Heavenly Father, and cause His light to shine in the darkness. How we need that Light like never before….
Blessings to you and yours, and I look forward to sharing more as time (and the grace of the Lord) permits.