Are you a trend setter or a trend follower.? Let's face it we all like to be cool. I do not care if you are in Middle School or live in an assisted living facility, we all buy into trends and fads. For some it may be hair style, for others it may be the way they dress. Then there are those that follow the crowd in almost every aspect of their life. They are true trend followers. This week starts Passion week or Holy week. At the beginning of this Passion week, Jesus is the trend. He is the popular one to follow. People are shouting at the top of there lungs, "Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest". They are laying their cloaks at his feet and they are praising the anointed one. They are witnessing the inaugural parade of King. His entourage (the twelve Disciples) is absolutely loving the attention. They are beginning to foresee wealth and power. They can absolutely taste the popularity.
But this King is like no other King that they have ever seen or ushered in. This King is going to have a short run in popularity. The other day one of my girls was talking to the other and said to her sister, "that outfit is so last week". I just had to laugh and wonder where she had heard that. But you know the sad reality is this is exactly what happened to Jesus. People loved him and followed him but they placed conditions on their love for him. The funny thing is that when he rode into town on a donkey (which kings do not ride) he was bringing an "unconditional love" with him. This love would be displayed in less than a week, not by him taking a seat on a throne but rather being hung to a cross. I guess the question is do we treat Jesus the same way that people then treated him? Do we love him with conditions? Do we treat him as a trend?
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Waiting for Death
I have witnessed many who have been either diagnosed with terminal illness or have just recently gone through an ordeal from losing a loved one and recently with getting my dad into nursing home care for Alzheimer’s/ dementia/ eating disorder/ I have had to walk the path again.
He was admitted into intensive care for seizures; he was badly dehydrated and low on potassium and has a great deal of blockage throughout all his arteries. He was refusing to eat or drink and exercise unless someone else counted and insisted or rewarded him as he did them. He has admitted he is not able to read any longer and although he appreciates cards and well wishes it confuses him. He needed so much more care than I could give him but most cannot afford or receive the care they need. He is 89 and has many good years; way past what any doctor would have expected. They will not do any more surgeries and he has signed the no resuscitate orders. He deserved more than all that I could do and was doing. Letting go of wanting to care for and wanting to please him was an ordeal all caretakers go through. I never realized the waiting for death to be what I would be eventually faced with. It is important to focus on the day / the present and take that step into the next stage of life and not sit and wait for death to come and take a loved one from any suffering or trouble they may be facing or that faces you. He is now in a facility in Kentucky near his family and friends that he remembers somewhat. He is in a good place and has adjusted very quickly. Although, he is still struggling with food not having any taste and never being thirsty he is getting physical therapy and a lot more attention daily. He was able to get a private room and is happy about that. We hung pictures to help him remember us but that didn't last long. All that mattered to him was that there are a lot of good people in the world.
I am reminded of Easter and that Jesus must have been waiting for that day that He had so hoped could have been taken away. He rose from the grave so that many family’s grief would be put to ease but He himself was waiting for the day He would have to die to save all those He could not reach on this earth. Had we known the day of His death would we too have been waiting around and sitting with Him, guarding Him, perhaps, even putting him on life support if possible just to hold onto the earthly body. Waiting for death is about living life to its fullest and accepting His will for our lives on earth and to prepare for eternal life.
My dad was admitted April fool’s Day into rehab and nursing home- we laughed, loved, and did the best we could to make his room comfortable and homey like. We prayed, were able to be gentle and found a way to pass the time with quality conversation, reviewing pictures, and many hugs.
It is important to reach out to as many folks as you can to wait with you and to help you move on with your life so that the waiting is just another day of loving and living. I am so thankful for my husband, children, niece, mother, aunt, cousins, and sister who helped me through a very difficult process the past 3 weeks. My dad is now where he has always wanted to be and is surrounded by his family and friends. I am so glad I followed Creator's nudging and urging to move quickly and swiftly to do what I felt I had to do. It took two weeks to get everything in order and it is not over yet. We still have to move closer to him and to the rest of our family and make more trips up there but as we wait for death we plan for continued life. We wait for retirement and planning ways we can move closer but that day is not yet so keep us in prayer for His will to be done. WE are so thankful for each of you who have and are praying for us already.
Many hugs to you,
David and Belinda
B
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