Lord of every age, sustain us in the years of our fading light and strength. Keep us steadfast in your word and promise that faith may not fail but keep you ever in our hearts. Amen.
Last Thanksgiving I was home in Connecticut visiting with my family and doing more than that for my parents. While I was there I provided the daily care and support for them who increasingly are unable to do and variety of basic needs for themselves. Without going into great depth or detail I will simply state these include assistance in many daily hygiene acts. Recently, I returned from another stint of providing that same care.
As a pastor I have been at this point in the human journey with a number of families. Sometimes it is the result of acute and life threatening illness, sometimes because of mental health challenges like Alzheimers, and sometimes simply chronic deterioration due to something like diabetes or arthritis. It is always a difficult challenge whatever the source of the limitations that come with age.
What cannot be imagined or anticipated or at least I couldn't anticipate it is the emotional content that is included within and from one's personal relationship to the situation. I have no problem doing all of the necessary personal care issues usually carried out by nurses and personal care assistants. What has been most frustrating is the seeming intransigence of my parents to make any effort to strengthen and fight for the themselves. I want them to fight for every bit of strength they can recover. I want for them every tiny bit of independence they can maintain. It is frustrating when they don't seem to work as hard as the rest of us to keep that freedom. The truth, however, is that it is so hard because in them I see myself and it makes me afraid that I am fruit that has never fallen far from the tree.
My parents are great parents. They have loved my two brothers and myself and given us the best examples of things that are central to our lives, love of God and love of neighbor. That love of neighbor was most intimately expressed in love of family. It still is. They learned it from their parents and passed it on to us. I see in my brothers and their wives that they, too, have passed it on to their children.
I am greatly thankful for my parents and the example they have provided for me and my brothers. Even as I passed 60 this year and can feel the limits of my own body more and more every day I still remember the love and sacrifices my parents have made for others living the love of Christ as they have been filled with the Spirit. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Even when the flesh is weak. And even as our spirit grows weaker, Christ's Spirit is ever stronger. Thanks be to God.
Last Thanksgiving I was home in Connecticut visiting with my family and doing more than that for my parents. While I was there I provided the daily care and support for them who increasingly are unable to do and variety of basic needs for themselves. Without going into great depth or detail I will simply state these include assistance in many daily hygiene acts. Recently, I returned from another stint of providing that same care.
As a pastor I have been at this point in the human journey with a number of families. Sometimes it is the result of acute and life threatening illness, sometimes because of mental health challenges like Alzheimers, and sometimes simply chronic deterioration due to something like diabetes or arthritis. It is always a difficult challenge whatever the source of the limitations that come with age.
What cannot be imagined or anticipated or at least I couldn't anticipate it is the emotional content that is included within and from one's personal relationship to the situation. I have no problem doing all of the necessary personal care issues usually carried out by nurses and personal care assistants. What has been most frustrating is the seeming intransigence of my parents to make any effort to strengthen and fight for the themselves. I want them to fight for every bit of strength they can recover. I want for them every tiny bit of independence they can maintain. It is frustrating when they don't seem to work as hard as the rest of us to keep that freedom. The truth, however, is that it is so hard because in them I see myself and it makes me afraid that I am fruit that has never fallen far from the tree.
My parents are great parents. They have loved my two brothers and myself and given us the best examples of things that are central to our lives, love of God and love of neighbor. That love of neighbor was most intimately expressed in love of family. It still is. They learned it from their parents and passed it on to us. I see in my brothers and their wives that they, too, have passed it on to their children.
I am greatly thankful for my parents and the example they have provided for me and my brothers. Even as I passed 60 this year and can feel the limits of my own body more and more every day I still remember the love and sacrifices my parents have made for others living the love of Christ as they have been filled with the Spirit. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Even when the flesh is weak. And even as our spirit grows weaker, Christ's Spirit is ever stronger. Thanks be to God.
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