Computer, I don't give him advice.
He's the expert.
Why, then, do I tell the God of the
Universe how to fix things?
When my son-in-law works on my
Computer, I don't give him advice. He's the expert. Why, then, do I tell the God of the Universe how to fix things?
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When I was seated at the restaurant, I
Remembered seeing the waiter before. And he remembered me. I asked him whether he had any New prayer requests, and in his Spanish accent he suggested I pray for all The homeless children. I could tell he had a tender heart. And when I asked him about the Pink bracelet he was wearing, he explained that His mother-in-law was a cancer survivor. It was my perfect opening. "Have you ever seen a bracelet like mine?" "No." And he listened carefully as I shared the gospel With the colored beads. "Have you heard this story before?" "No, this is the first time." When I tied it on his wrist, the soft spoken man Was delighted. "This is my lucky day!" Later he asked whether it was safe to wear the Bracelet if it got wet. I could tell he didn't want to take it off while he Was working in the kitchen. "No problem at all," I said. And when I left, he gave me a hug. His "lucky" day? Not really. It was his appointed day. He learned that God has a Gift for him. I pray he accepts it. When I sit around the table with familiar
Friends whom I've known for thirty plus years, Friends who have shared heartaches and Joys with me beyond imagining, Friends so intimate that we can laugh Uproariously about flatulence and other Maladies that beset old timers, and we Can cry because one of our sisters is Transitioning to her real home due to Cancer; In the rare camaraderie and deeply shared Love I am warmed by the thought that There is no greater gift than Friendship. When we left the concert it was
Dark and foggy. The elderly couple in the back seat were Chatting, but I was straining to see The road. Because of the congestion I had taken A different street, and when I turned onto The thoroughfare, it took a few moments Before I realized that all the cars were Rushing toward me. I was going the wrong direction on a Four lane highway. The couple noticed. "You're going the wrong way!" Was it an angel that helped me to calmly Pull over to the berm to consider my Options? Thankfully, there was finally a break in the Stream of cars and I managed to make a U-turn and go again with the flow. There was lots of rejoicing in my car, and I suspect lots of applause among the Angels too. My young friend asked for advice.
Her mom's dementia is getting worse, and she Doesn't know how to respond. How could I prepare her for what's ahead? I told her that her mother will lose her Abilities bit by bit. In fact, I charted Jack's progress by What he lost. "You will need to support your dad," I shared. "Eventually she won't be able to be left alone." I told her that I didn't try to correct Jack. When he thought his camera was broken, I Took him to the shop so the expert could Explain that it was fine. I pushed him around Home Deport searching For an item that I knew didn't exist. When he spoke to an imaginary person, I Welcomed the phantom too. I tried to be calm and patient with him. Sometimes I failed. I prayed, "Have mercy on my honey today, Lord. Have mercy on me." I told my hurting friend that we never stop Loving our confused dear ones. If it's possible, we love them more deeply because They are so helpless. We bear the pain for two. I told her that often I repeated to myself, "He can't help it. He can't help it." And I was so, so grateful that he didn't know. A Caregiver's Verse "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going." —II Corinthians 4: 8-9
She's a new widow and dreading Christmas.
"I don't know how to spend the day," she Lamented. "It's just my son and me and he wants no Company. He's grieving in his own way." I wished we lived closer. I would drop in to give her a hug and share a Mug of hot chocolate. I'd tell her about my first Christmas without Min when The girls were still small. I was so weighted down my feet would barely move. But a more seasoned widow told me, "At Christmas You must be brave for the girls' sake." And so we endured. With broken hearts the three of us "did" Christmas. I wish I had a formula for dealing with Christmas grief. I have none. Do what you must, friend, what is important to You, and omit the meaningless. When you need to cry, sob hard on His Shoulder knowing He is collecting your tears. And be brave. Some folks put out cookies for Santa, but
At this stage of my life I look forward to Your visits much more than Santa's. So I'm placing these cookies here for you. What a blessing it is to know you Will faithfully pick up my garbage Each week. You are hardy souls working in every Type of weather. Some folks may take you for granted. But I don't. Thanks! And Blessed Christmas! |
Dorothy Kalb Hsu Seitzinger
Writing poetry has helped me process and express my sorrows and joys, my concerns and blessings. "Life is hard, but God is good!" Archives
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