Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Fingerprints of God Who Has Overcome the World

On the morning of Sept. 19, 2011, my Mom was to be seen by Hospice Care. They would be doing a "review" to determine if she was ready for Hospice Care. She was found to be at a physical state where she qualified to receive the services of Hospice Care. Hospice is care given to a patient when they are found to be drawing close to the end of life. Their goal is to keep the patient comfortable and provide support for the patient and family. She would be reviewed again in 90 days. Mom did not have to be reviewed again.

My Mom had been slowly dying from a most horrific disease called Alzheimers. It began nine years ago when she was feeling "confused" at the age of 80. She retired from her job as a telephone operator. It has been a long hard road since that time. Dear one, I want to share some of this story to encourage those of you who may be caregivers or will be a caregiver in the future. Our God is an amazing God. Look and look again for His fingerprints. He is, in my experience, into the finer details of our lives.

The Word says in John 16:33b "in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."(NIV) No one looking at my Mom would doubt that in this world she had trouble. Mom had severe osteoporosis and Alzheimers. Through it all I asked the Lord to give my Mom peace of mind and favor with those who would attend to her needs. Mom suffered from a shattered shoulder, a broken arm, a broken wrist, bruises from falls, and a replaced knee. She was often frightened in the early years of Alzheimers. By age 82 she was in a Senior Housing apartment one mile from my home. By age 83 she was in an Assisted Living Facility one and a half miles from my home. By age 85 she was in a Nursing Home about 15 miles from my home. By age 89 she would end her journey in this world.

The First Fingerprint of God: Encouragement
The week of October 30th, in the midst of a horrific snowstorm and no electricity, God gave me 1 Thes.4:13-5:11. He stopped me at 1 Thes. 4:13-14, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." (NAS) I knew God was encouraging me that my Mom was surely one who was counted among the saved. I could trust Him with the timing. I could take heart, He has overcome the world!!

In my prayer time or sometimes when I sleep I see pictures in my mind's eye. That week I saw a picture of Jesus on the throne and He was wearing a red robe and the train of His robe filled the aisle in front of him. At the end of the aisle was a doorway. At the doorway was a young healthy younger image of my Mom. She had the biggest smile on her face. Jesus held out the scepter and she went forward on His train of red. I could take heart, He has overcome the world.

The Second Fingerprint of God: Love
On Sunday Nov. 6th I was at the nursing home. My Mom was not eating much but I came at dinnertime. She ate a cup of yogurt and a little pudding for me. She smiled and she said very clearly "I love you". My Mom had not said a clear word for some time, but she spoke that night. Amazing love!! I could take heart, He has overcome the world!!

The Third Fingerprint of God: God is Soverign
On Monday, Nov. 7th my Mom stopped eating and drinking. I was told that she was not in any pain and they would continue to offer her food. I was aware that she would likely die within three to five days without food or water. I went in the evening and attempted to give her some juice. She was unresponsive. Even after having placed juice on her tongue she did not swallow it. I released my Mom to the timing of the Lord. I sat with her and we listened to instrumental worship music. I could take heart, He has overcome the world!!

The Fourth Fingerprint of God: Love Never Dies
By Wednesday, Nov. 9th I got a call at work to get to the nursing home. They thought the end was near. I left work immediately. My daughter was on her way down from Massachusetts and my son left work. Both wanted to come and say "Good-Bye" to their Nana. My husband and daughter-in-law watched the great-grandchildren. What a very hard day. In the midst of our praying, crying and talking to her, suddenly a tear fell from her right eye. She had no food or water now for three days and yet in the midst of so great a love a tear found its way to her eyes. The love she had for us, the love we had for her would surely never, ever die. Praise God, I could take heart, He has overcome the world!!

The Fifth Fingerprint of God: He is loving-kindness
I was off on Thursday and Friday. I was free to sit at my mother's side. I wanted to be with her when Jesus came to take her to Himself. I went home to sleep Thursday night but on Friday morning I called to see how she was. The nurse said, "Nothing has changed". I told the nurse I would be there by 11 am. She told my Mom. Did she hear, did she understand? I'll never know, but this I do know, He knew. I came with my Bible, worship music, shalom oil and my prayer shawl. I anointed her head with the shalom oil, I put on the worship music, I placed the prayer shawl over her body and I began reading the scripture that I was to read for a program called E-100 we have been doing in my church. And so I read 1 Corinthians 13 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:2. Let me quote some of those scriptures within the verses: Love "does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13 6-8a NAS)

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven..."
(2 Cor. 4:16-5:2 NAS)

When I finished reading the scripture my Mom, Jean Noonan Lano, took her last breath on November 11, 2011 at 11:30 am. I held her hand and waited. It was a hard but most tender moment that God, she and I shared. The presence of God and His peace incredibly filled the room. I could take heart, He overcame her world!!

After a brief time a surprising sense of joy came over me I can't describe. I was just so happy for my Mom. She no longer had to deal with the troubles of this world. The scepter was put forth, she was presented before the throne of amazing GRACE. She entered by the blood of the Lamb. I changed the music and put on an uplifting song of praise. I began to sing out loud and invited staff to join me in a time of celebration........We could all take heart, Jesus has overcome the world!!

Patricia L. Wenzel
WOC Graduate

DIGGING DEEPER
James 5:14
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." (NKJV)

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