Faithful

This is Mormor.  Do you see her?  She's the beautiful lady in green, up front, holding her great granddaughter.  I chose this particular picture because it shows her with her great army of descendants behind her and around her.  That white-haired gentleman next to her is Morfar.

This picture was taken at Mormor's 90th birthday.  This year, she'll turn 93.  Mormor is a very healthy old woman, except that she suffers from advanced dementia.

About a week ago, Mormor was in the hospital with a gall bladder infection so bad that the doctor(s) fully expected Mormor to pass away, and quickly.

When most people hear that someone as old as Mormor is sick, and especially knowing she has dementia, i think there's a little of everyone that thinks, "she's had a long, full life; Lord, let her go home."  I had similar thoughts to those when i heard the news that she was sick.  But then my heart wasn't satisfied with that prayer, and instead i told God that if He were done with Mormor -- if her purpose here on this earth was over, to please take Mormor home to Heaven.  But if He has more for her to do, if her purpose is not spent, to please extend her life.  And that was all.

I know that Mormor has loved the Lord her whole life and that her heart has always been toward Him.  I was sure that her prayer would be the same as mine

I didn't think much about my prayer.  In fact, when i prayed it, i didn't know that the doctor's predictions were so bleak.  I thought she was just getting some antibiotics.

It was later that i realized how meaningful that prayer was going to be to me.  Because in it, i realized that God is faithful.  The Bible says that He is faithful when we are without faith.  But He's faithful when we're with out . . . fill in the blank . . . anything!  Where it deals with my Mormor, He is faithful when we are without the faculties of our minds.

That's really hard for us to fathom.  We think that when our minds are not what we think they should be, that the essence of us is gone.  But that's not true.  Our spirits are still in tact, and no disease can mess that up.

During the middle of last week, Mormor's doctor got an idea for a way to drain the infection from Mormor's body without surgery, which wasn't an option.  He tried it, and it worked.  Today, Mormor is back at the nursing home where she lives.

My mom's email today read (referring to Mormor),

"Mom is back at the nursing home and doing well. At meal time she got up and started helping set the tables as usual . . . One of the ladies . . . went up to see her and said that she is smiling and talking about Jesus."

My 93 year-old grandmother, her mind altered by dementia, and yet her spirit lives, and she is serving others (most of whom are undoubtedly younger than she) and telling them about Jesus.


God is faithful when i am without faith.


God is faithful when i am without talent.


God is faithful when i am without resources.


God is faithful when i am without my very mind.


God is faithful.


Period.


And now i know.


And apparently, He has more for her to do.  Isn't that encouraging?  Imagine how much He must have left for all of us spring chickens to do!  We have no idea the dreams and plans He has for us.