Jesus draws us closer

The shift from the earthly dwelling to the completed life is "wonderful goot--ain't?" as the Amish community  [I grew up near Lancaster, PA] is apt to say.  But on the other hand, as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof it completely and total disrupts our planned agenda.  We get caught up in the living here on Earth and if we read and accept the truths of the bible we know the promise of salvation and the rewards of relationship with Christ Jesus but still we get invested in the house, the garden, the repairs, the children and the money to accomplish all of those and we don't focus on the dwelling in completionville.

UNTIL.........something changes.  Then the challenge begins, did I learn these lessons well enough to walk them out with righteousness, peace and joy?  Will I tee-totally lose my mind as I try to make death go the way I want it to, [complete honor, no embarrassing moments, no pain, no distress, no worry, no anxiety, no fevers, no nausea, no pressure marks or sore places you would normally shift away from?]  some of these you surely know are easier to prevent than others and some I just can not control or will never know if they were done the right way but I want, I want, I want [turtles ......turtles .......turtles] things to be done to the very best of my ability.

Last night was hard and yet the Lord was there providing for our needs.  Gene had a high fever [I am told this is caused by the bleeding in the brain and even with medication he was breathing hard and sweating and wet and the fever was rising again.  Adding to the problem the air conditioning had chosen this day to go kaput.

I called for help.  God sent a dear sister who came immediately [she only lives a mile from us], she remained through the night and urged me to sleep after the crisis passed while she remained awake and attentive to Gene's needs.  I called for the night shift of hospice to come and they helped to determine the breathing was from pain and we watched as some morphine gave him rest.  She skilfully helped me turn and reposition him and stabilized my fretted mind.  She wore a traditional head covering indicating, to me at least, that faith in God is a part of her life.  This morning though the fever is back with vengeance, I am up on the morphine and the tylenol and I have shirts altered to meet Gene's needs with the back removed and snaps in the neck collar thanks to another sister spending yesterday afternoon sewing for several hours.  So I can give him a clean dry shirt as often as I want. Also earlier in the day gene's family had arrived with a window air conditioning unit to cool at least this room and today they have contacted a company who is on their way to us first today.

And now before I have completed my blog the day is over.  Gene is much closer to departure to his face to face relationship with Jesus.  I have commitments to keep to him and thanks to give to God for the opportunity to serve this man, the gift that God gave to me.  I am thankful for the opportunity to do so.