Some Things Never Change... Thank God

I forgot about my movie for a bit. Mom's in the hospital. She's been sliding down the Alzheimer's slope for several years now, and has reached the level where she requires constant care. We moved her into a "rehab center" after she broke her hip. But rehab implies that a person can follow directions. She can't. So, she probably won't walk anymore. She just exists there from naptime to nighttime. Saturday, she was so groggy that she couldn't even mumble her usual nonsense. We thought maybe they had increased her medicine dosage. Just after noon, they took her to the ER. The story is: an infection had become so rampant that she was getting groggy. I guess that happens. She's now plugged into I.V. antibiotics and is getting better. But here's the thing - in all the flurry of anxious phone calls and interrupted plans, my Mom gave me an unexpected gift. Like she's done all my life. Not only the labor of birth and nursing and diapers and pureed food; not only the shuttles to school and the late nights of homework and ironing clothes and making lunches; not only the long talks and advice and encouragement when I began to raise my own children; not only homemade pies and fresh fruit and vegetables and cakes for every birthday; but she was the one who introduced me to my heavenly Father. Now, she's gone, or might as well be. She's not where I can get to her. She can't form words. Not words that anyone can interpret. She can't understand words when someone speaks to her. She can't think anymore, the wires are disconnected. I imagine her closed up all alone in a blurry noisy world with strange apparitions buzzing in and out of sight. I have prayed since the day the doctor said the "A" word that somehow, God would be in there with her and hold her hand and not let her be alone and afraid. Well, yesterday, as she lay there on that narrow bed designed for everything but comfort, wires and tubes poking her from every angle, she gave me the sweetest gift yet. She prayed. Not gibberish, not all of it, but real words. "O Dear heavenly Father," she said, "We pray that you would..." I couldn't hear that part. "We ask you to..." Missed that too. And on and on she prayed. Had to be 4 or 5 minutes. I just stood there and tried not to sob too hard as tears streamed onto my shirt. I was glad I was facing away from the busy hallway. And then, "...in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray, Amen." And she opened her eyes and began whispering gibberish again. But from those few wonderful moments, I knew that the loving Lord she had introduced to me 49 years ago was in there with her. When he says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," it's the truth. Thank you Jesus. Stay in there with my Mom till it's time for her to come home. Thank you that Dad's already there waiting for her. And thank you that you gave me this movie to take to market so you can show me just how much I need you, and thanks for Mom's reminder of just how faithful you are.