Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Prayer for my Dad - Update

 Hey Everyone.

Just an update for all of you.

The last week with my dad has been both completely great and completely difficult.
I'll start with the positive. 



 The Completely Great. 

I can hardly imagine anyone denying God while being on their deathbed, but I can acknowledge that it can happen.
Thank God in Heaven - my dad believes in Him.
My dad and I have had three distinct conversations where he acknowledged all of the following:

- his sins
- his repentance from sin and his need for a savior
- Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord
- God's provision of a savior through his Son's death and resurrection.

Praise God.

If you've read the book "Heaven Is for Real" or have been in a similar situation as ours, you may know why that last sentence was written with a period and not an exclamation point.  Great joy combined with great sadness leads to a refreshed faith with a somber heart. 


 The Completely Difficult. 

I started on my way home on Tuesday unaware of what I was about to face.
My dad's decline has been exponentially fast, something that has caught us all by some degree of surprise.  We knew this time would come, but we could only imagine - not expect -  how it would be.  Dad now only has moments of clarity, no movement at all in his left arm and leg, and takes four different medicines for his seizures.  The days here range from watching him sleep to devising all sorts of "reasonable" explanations for dad not to get out of bed - something that could end up being fatal for him when he would inevitably fall. FYI: Dad's on blood thinners still for the clot in his leg - see the last post for more info on that.

 Prayer is still needed. 

We know Dad doesn't have much time left, but we have no idea when that time will be up.  What we need prayer for now is that my dad would remember that he has a place secured in heaven (John 14:6, Romans 10:9).  This is difficult for him to do, considering the nature of his disease and what complications it's causing on his brain.  My dad also need prayer for a peaceful passing.  He is in a lot of pain and is either unwilling or unable to express that pain to us.  He is also losing much of his cognitive abilities, which makes the days hard on him and on us.  Finally, please pray for us, that we would be under God's protection during this challenging phase of our lives.

Thanks for the support from everyone.  We definitely appreciate it.

1 comment:

  1. Oh, Laura, this is such bittersweet news! So many praises for the "good" and so many prayers and tears for the "bad". Thinking of you!

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