Shalom and Peace to you~
Monday was both long and frustrating for me and my family. We found out late in the afternoon that my dad may need to continue his physical therapy in a medical facility inside of going home. We are all disappointed but also appreciate the honest assessment of the situation. My dad is in good spirits and wants to do what’s recommended for his continued health and independence. He’s also evangelizing and reading his bible daily. What a witness for the Lord! The nursing staff and medical assistance all rave about how much they love him! And it just comes right out and ask, “Do you go to Church?” and “Are you saved?” What a blessing to have a faithful father and more importantly a faithful follower of Jesus! They love him so much in the hospital that on his whiteboard in his room under plan to go home says, “Never, because we love you!”
How awesome is that! Our family could not ask for any better treatment and care than what St. Vincent-Williamsport Hospital has provided. They have been such a blessing! So, the plan is to meet with his physician in the morning and make a decision/plan for the next couple of weeks. As you might imagine there’s an endless list of questions and decisions that must be made and many of them are necessary but difficult. It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of parents aging and accepting the reality of life and death. For those who know me and follow my blog, I’ve written about losing my mother in 2012, it was a shock to all of us and we were completely unprepared. I’m finding that there’s a lot of legal issues with the elderly as they require more assistance and rely on Medicare and Medicaid for services. While I understand some of the logic, there is little that is fair for all. Our wish and hope is for dad to come home and live out the rest of his life surrounded by memories in the home he made with his beloved family.
I am staying in my dads home, the home I grew up in and was drawn to write this while watching one of my favorite sitcoms, “The Golden Girls.” I hope I’m lucky enough to have such faithful, fun loving individuals around me as I continue to age. Those four women, unique and independent in their own ways our a source of strength and stability for one another no matter what happens. The other sitcom I’m reminded of it, “One Day At a Time” the original and the recent reboot on Netflix. Life has a tendency to throw you curveballs and you have to be flexible and willing to bend with the wind, so to speak. Then, there’s “The Facts of Life.” What a great show about adolescences and challenges of growing up and gaining independence. Anyways, those are a few of my favorites. Along with all these shows I also had constant family support and positive role models in my life growing up and I do not take that fir granted. I’m thankful for being exposed to the love of Jesus at a very young age and for being given opportunities to pursue my faith. My parents did not push religion upon my brother and me growing up but they ensured we were exposed to it and that provided us with values, standards and character growing up. I’m so proud of my brother and his accomplishments, and I’m also proud of my niece and nephew as well. Family is very important and precious, and family is anyone who adds value to your life! The Bible tells us many things about family and who is our family…
The Bible is clear about creation, one of my favorite passages is found in John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” (NRSV)
The Bible also has these references:
“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” ~Genesis 1:27 (NRSV)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” ~Colossians 1:15-17 (NRSV)
“Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” ~1 Corinthians 8:5-6 (NRSV)
In my heart and mind, it is (my) belief that we are all God’s children and are created/born with a purpose and a plan. This thought process and belief may not be in complete agreement with yours and that’s ok. There are passages in the Bible that state that we, as believers (those accepting that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and sacrificed himself for us) are called, “the children of God.”
“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” ~John 1:12-13 (NRSV)
“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” ~1 John 3:10 (NIV)
I think both statement about who are called “the children of God” whether by creation or by accepting Christ as Savior, can be true and have separate meanings. I wish to offend no one and absolutely do not want to try and persuade you into thinking otherwise as I am not a biblical scholar, I am simply sharing my thoughts. Just as I’m sure not everyone accepts my favorite TV sitcoms as wholesome and positive christian values of its characters. I simply try and glean as much as I can from the characters and their roles. One can see the Hand of God in all things, if they choose to. I like these quotes by Helen Keller…
Today, which is Tuesday, is proving to be another long and frustrating day and I’m thankful to be a part of it. My dad is continuing to improve and I have enjoyed spending the morning with him. Though some of our time was spent in silence, it’s never really quiet because my thoughts are of him and all the things I love about him. We talked about the past and the future, laughed about our life experiences and shared in precious memories of mom, mostly thankful hearts for the time we have together. Sometimes no words are necessary in conveying one’s feelings.
As today comes to a close, a lot has happened since starting my day and this post. My father was discharged from the hospital and admitted to a nursing/rehabilitation center. The plan is short term, only a week or two and then hopefully he can return home and be as independent as possible in his own home. I think dad took the transition better than my brother and I did, he is so positive and upbeat. He even started his physical therapy today and bravely ate his dinner in the main dining hall instead of in his room. I could not be prouder to have him as my dad, I hope I can age with the grace and independence that he is. My brother came to see and sit with dad after he had worked all day, so I could leave and take care of other things. I’m so thankful for his commitment to dad and for the father/son relationship they have. They are so much alike, they both have generous spirits and true kindness for helping others. I like to think that mom is somehow looking down from heaven with joy as she sees the man her son as grown into and sees the depth of dads love for family and God!
The best way I know how to close this is to simple encourage everyone to daily trust in God, living one day at a time and may all your days be golden.
~Peace~
References:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.compellingtruth.org/amp/all-God-children.html
HOPE SEEKER 
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