Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
We had just moved back to Indiana. My sister had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and my dad with Alzheimer’s. This truly had all the earmarks of a terrible summer. My mom was caring for my sister, and it fell to me to take care of my dad. What some would have deemed to be an overwhelming task, turned out to be a truly blessed summer. True, we could not discuss current events with my dad, but this allowed us to enjoy the little things. The time I spent listening to dad’s stories and jokes, most of which I had heard several times, brought laughter and smiles to both of us. It was great knowing he enjoyed the time we spent together. I bought us baseball gloves, and we would go to the park for a game of catch, or just to walk and talk while holding hands, while enjoying nature. Dad went down hill after that summer, but the blessing the Lord gave me by giving me that one-on-one time with my dad was among my cherished memories of that otherwise sad time in our life.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the blessing of two loving parents. I pray that the love I received from my parents will find its way into the lives of all the children of our church. I thank You for the blessing I received while caring for my dad, and pray that others who may find themselves in similar situations will find the blessing by enjoying the time they have. Lord, I pray that I will never forget the love You gave me through my parents.
We had just moved back to Indiana. My sister had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and my dad with Alzheimer’s. This truly had all the earmarks of a terrible summer. My mom was caring for my sister, and it fell to me to take care of my dad. What some would have deemed to be an overwhelming task, turned out to be a truly blessed summer. True, we could not discuss current events with my dad, but this allowed us to enjoy the little things. The time I spent listening to dad’s stories and jokes, most of which I had heard several times, brought laughter and smiles to both of us. It was great knowing he enjoyed the time we spent together. I bought us baseball gloves, and we would go to the park for a game of catch, or just to walk and talk while holding hands, while enjoying nature. Dad went down hill after that summer, but the blessing the Lord gave me by giving me that one-on-one time with my dad was among my cherished memories of that otherwise sad time in our life.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the blessing of two loving parents. I pray that the love I received from my parents will find its way into the lives of all the children of our church. I thank You for the blessing I received while caring for my dad, and pray that others who may find themselves in similar situations will find the blessing by enjoying the time they have. Lord, I pray that I will never forget the love You gave me through my parents.
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