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Print There are two major crises that are unfolding in our family at this time, and looking at the juxtaposition from one to the other would be amazing from an objective viewpoint if it was not so painful. I keep thinking of the first part of the scripture, “I once was young, now I am old…” (Psalm 37:25). My wife’s grandmother is close to death, and it is only a matter of time now. Her vital signs are getting weaker by the day. I have a relative that is very much young and alive that is experiencing great difficulty entering into the adult world, so very much that Christian counseling and follow-up will be necessary for a little while, at least. I keep thinking to myself “Lord, why can’t the great wisdom and life lessons of the lady that is dying be imparted to this young person, so unsure, so afraid of what lies ahead?” There is so much that is unreachable now in the life that is draining away. She is a great prayer warrior who has won many battles. Many times when we faced a crisis in our young adult lives, my wife asked her grandma to pray. Many times the miraculous resulted, and at the time, I did not even know—probably because I was the cause of the crisis. I remember when we were expecting our first child, and my wife could not find anything decent to wear. (Now, of course, you can’t swing a dead cat in a store without hitting maternity clothes.) Her grandmother, in pain with arthritis and other illnesses, made her dresses she could wear without looking too ridiculous. I admit I was not much support during that time, since I mainly sang the Dolly Pardon song “The coat of many colors that my Nana made for me” whenever she put on one of the dresses. I should have been shot. For some reason, her grandmother still likes me. We can all look at situations in life and think they are unfair. My young relative is kind, talented, attractive, and a good Christian young person. Yet young people can be paralyzed by fear and doubt. Their life is on hold, while the ‘tape’ is playing over and over in their mind of thoughts leading to despondency. I know that God will heal this situation. I heard something today that is very encouraging—there is a light in the tunnel. (No, it is not a train.) What about Grandmother? Things are left undone, unsaid, unfulfilled sometimes. But are they really? Maybe, if you do not know my God they are. When my father passed away, I was tormented that I was not there. I did not get to say goodbye. It was hard until I had a word from the Lord while I was listening to a song called “Heaven is a Long Hello.” God asked me, “Why are you worried about saying ‘Goodbye’ when soon you will be saying ‘Hello’? And that is what it is all about, really, if we just can hold on. The rest of that scripture from Psalms states that, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.” I am all over that!
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Jim Hidlebaugh ---------- Jim Hidlebaugh is the music director at First Villa Grove United Pentecostal Church. No! He’s a Senior Project Analyst for wireless customer care and billing at Amdocs. No! He’s the husband to Sherry and father to Ashton and Elani. Actually, instead of giving home Bible studies, he is thinking of starting a support group for displaced accordion players. |
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