Our Great Refuge

Seasons come and seasons go.  Our lives can be humdrum or they can feel like rollercoasters on steroids. These past few weeks have been challenging to say the least.  For the past two-and-a-half years my Dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  The disease has been steadily progressing.  My wonderful and kind father has had the need for a caregiver for some time now. 

He has recently become more unstable on his feet.  After a few minor falls, we realized he needed a caregiver round-the-clock to help him.

Within days of this new change, we received a phone call.  Our caregiver said that my mom was seated on the foot of her bed and was acting unusual.  She could not speak normally but instead was babbling.  Lou, my wife, told my caregiver to call 911.

After arriving at the hospital, our suspicions were realized – my mom had had a stroke. The doctors performed several cat scans.  The results showed damage to the left hemisphere of her brain.  This meant that the right side of her body was affected.  It also meant that the part of the brain that controls speech and language were impacted.

Thankfully, my brother John was visiting from California at the time.  He was a big help.  He extended his flight a number of days to stay with mom and to be of assistance.

 

My wife has also been a gigantic blessing and support.  Since she practiced medicine in the Philippines, she has a great deal of medical knowledge.  And she has helped in numerous other ways.

I am so grateful she is in my life.

Lou and I asked for prayer from a number of people and we too called out to God for His assistance and healing presence.  The Lord has been a refuge for us in our time of need.  During my quiet time on the day my mom had her stroke, the Lord gave me Psalm 46 which starts out like this: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”  The Lord gave this to me before the event occurred (the date was December 29, 2018).

Mom has taken great strides in her recovery. She has been moved to a rehab hospital.   Her speech is fairly clear though she still struggles to say things at times.  She is walking with a walker and can go up a few stairs at a time.  She is scheduled to come home on January 18 and then will go to outpatient therapy.

We ordered a hospital bed for my Dad and it arrived today.  He seems to like it.  It has guard rails that keep him from falling.  He can no longer travel upstairs to his bedroom.

I am thankful to God for his unseen hand.  He has truly been at work.  We know He will continue to amaze us.  For those who have been praying for our family, we can’t thank you enough.  We feel the effect of your prayers.

 

This is a season in our lives where trouble seemed to have the upper hand but God showed us He is our great Refuge.

Jesus is bigger than our need. 

He is taller than our mountain,

And deeper than any sea.

He will help us when we call to Him

On bended knee.