AUTUMN UPDATE: She began another Chemo after 14 weeks. Radiation did a number on her, but her hemoglobin is staying above 10 so it has stopped the bleeding. She said she would never do that again. Thank you all for you prayers and love.

In pondering what to share each week , I decided to step into some uncomfortable , insecure waters.

Twenty-two years ago I fell while on a missions trip in Honduras and completely tore my patellar tendon. This began the biggest adventure of my life. Probably close second to losing my husband of 48 yrs. Several years later I began to write about it. If it takes chapters to be called a book, then it is a book. I have decided to make it part of my blog each week. It has sat on my computer for nearly twenty years, and I am quite sure that wasn’t the reason I was supposed to write it. So, I will forget about my insecurities and share it with you. I will share only part of a chapter each week. As I said in my Blog introduction, I am not a professional writer, so please excuse the mistakes 😊 I attempted to edit…

I hope it   >Brings joy to your heart.   >Tickles your funny bone.  > And adds resolve to your soul.    

ENJOY!

        Chapter 1 part 1

I had lived a half a century and thought I had figured out a few things. It is so easy to say what you would do if, what you would say when. Then life happens and it seems you are left with more questions than answers. I really thought I trusted God with all my heart. I guess from my frame of reference up until then, I did. However, I was about to find out there was so much more.

Have you ever been at the bottom of the mountain, or at the top of a ladder looking in the other direction? The big things become small, the small can look enormous. Our frame of reference has a lot to do with our perspective.

I guess it is easy to say He is your provider when you have wealth and your healer when you have health. I was about to find out if I could be broken in body, mind and soul and still trust my God.

I was just settling in after saying good-bye to my mom. She had battled with a severe lung problem for several years. About twice a year, she would go into the hospital for several days. We would tease her by saying that she just wanted a vacation, she really wasn’t sick. After 20 kids and nearly sixty grandkids, she deserved one. She would usually come home on another medication and would be fine for a while. She had been on oxygen for several years.

She couldn’t walk very far, but could still reach my dad, and he couldn’t remember much but he still remembered my mom. By the world’s standards they were poor, but still being in love after 58 years made them richer than most of the people this world looks up to today. Their marriage has always been an inspiration to me. Every time things got rough, I would think of them, and know that raising twenty kids there must have been those times they wanted to quit, yet they never did.

Though her lungs had been bad for a long time, it didn’t seem they were particularly bad this time. So, we were all thrown a bit when she passed away about sunrise on Sunday morning. This was here favorite day of the week. If she had a bumper sticker, it would have said TGIS, Thank God It’s Sunday. She went to church to worship her Lord, fellowship with her friends, and renew her spirit.

 We went through the same thing with both my husbands’ parents, the repeated trips back and forth to the hospital. When the call came that my mom was back in, I said to my husband, “Here I go again.” He said” I know hon, but I can tell you from experience, there will be a last time.” And he was right, and this was it. (I remember telling our kids the same thing with the many trips to the hospital with their dad.) We were both right, about both my Mom and my husband.

 I spent time with her at the hospital on that Thursday, then I took my dad home with me. He had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it was one way to help my mom, she was somewhat of a worrier. He was only with us for two days, then he wanted to see mom, or as he always said Mother. It was a good thing my husband took him home when he did because there was a bad blizzard the next day. They would not have been able to make the eighty-mile trip, and she passed away Sunday morning.

Our God is so gracious, he told me in October to start going to spend each Saturday with my parents. They no longer could be alone. After reminding God, that it was eighty-five miles from my house to theirs. God being God didn’t argue he just said “Go”!

A week later the father of two of our foster children father began treatments at the Veterans hospital in Tomah. Therefore, I had to go up there anyway. I spent almost every Saturday from November to March with my parents. A time I will cherish forever.

 When you share your parents with eighteen siblings, alone time is quite scarce. We laughed, and sang, and prayed, and read the Bible. I would ask them questions about their childhood. Mom would answer, then correct dad after he answered. Then they would have a minor skirmish about who was right. When I remember it makes me smile. God blessed me with this time.

My mom passed away Sunday March 3^rd, 2002, fifteen months later August 3^rd, 2003, my dad joined her. Also, on a Sunday; also, his favorite day of the week. Every year on my birthday, they would call and sing happy birthday. My mom would wheeze all the way through, and my dad would sing off tune. If I wasn’t at home, it would be on my answering machine. One of those things you meant to save and didn’t. I miss them a lot today, because today I turned 54. 

I saw my mom on Thursday night before she passed away. I didn’t join my husband when he took my dad home. I had a wedding dress to make, and somehow, I had two days, totally without kids. My own, their own, as well as foster kids. Something almost unheard of at that point in my life.

 It was nice to have time to work on the dress. That also meant I was alone when my husband called to tell me my mom had passed away. He hated to tell me over the phone when I was there alone. Nevertheless, there were 85 miles and a lot of snow falling between us.  I cried for me but rejoiced for her. She loved the song I’ll Fly away. Some glad day when this life is over, I’ll fly away. Her journey was over.

We had just received our income tax return. It was deposited on Saturday and Monday my friend called about her upcoming mission’s trip to Honduras. When I said, “Oh I am jealous.”  She said, “We have a space open, why don’t you come with us? I jokingly turned to my husband and said, “Can I go to Honduras?” He looked at me and said, “Sure there is enough money in the bank take it and go if you want to.” So, I did!

           On June 5 we pulled out of the Portage, Wisconsin Assembly of God church and headed for Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This wasn’t my church, and there were many team members I didn’t know. However, God just molded me in right from the start, with more of my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

 As we were about ready to land in Miami one of the team went into a grand mall seizure. We put her on her side on the floor.

They opened the cockpit door, and I talked to the pilot from ***the aisle about three quarters of the way back. He circled the plane until we could get her stable, which for me wasn’t until she started breathing more even and opened her eyes. She didn’t know where she was, but at least she knew she was somewhere. I think this was the worst Grand Mall seizure I have ever seen. Many tried to talk her into going back home, she refused. I volunteered to accompany her. I didn’t really want to, believe it or not, I was afraid I would miss something. Oh, what an understatement that was.

The scripture the Lord gave me from the start was from the Old Testament book of Isaiah   No weapon formed against you will prosper. I didn’t really understand, but it remained a whisper in my spirit as I prepared for the trip. Now does that mean there will be no arrows aimed in our direction. Absolutely not. It means that whatever happens God will not allow the devils attempts to destroy us. There is a place in our hearts that he can’t touch. The devil’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.

I have been places I shouldn’t have been and done things I shouldn’t have done. I never thought the most difficult journey of my life would begin on a Missions Trip. Here I was a few thousand miles from home, sharing the gospel, loving on people. Flowing in the anointing. Isn’t that like an apple a day, keeps the bad stuff away.

 I think at times as Christians we think we are beyond the touch of life. 2 Corinthians 4:8,9 tell us we will be, pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Oh!  Nevertheless, we will not be destroyed or abandoned. The verse before says; But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. It really doesn’t matter the size of your problem, but the size of your God.

 He said, “Hope you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death but remember you are walking through, and I am with you, so fear no evil.”  These verses were in my heart; I had no idea how they would apply.

MORE NEXT WEEK!.

I said in my introduction to my Blog  If my writings can help someone get back up and take another step, they will have accomplished their purpose. I hope the same as I share my Book  From the Top of the Falls

Blessings!  Thanks for Reading!