A Mother’s Day Reflection

. . .Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

This passage from the book of Esther has been my favorite for a long time. As I began to reflect on Mother’s Day, it put a few more parts of my life into perspective.

It has become a cliche for people to say that God works in mysterious ways. But when I look at my current life as a caregiver for my god-sister, Gladys, I know that God does indeed work in mysterious ways and He orchestrates our destinies in ways we can’t fathom.

Background

My mother graduated high school in 1948 and moved from Tennessee to Philadelphia where she met Gladys.  Mom and Gladys became friends and when I was born Gladys’ mother became my god-mother.  When I was five years old, my mother went back to Tennessee to take care of her mother who had cancer.  Since Mom had no job, she left me with my god-mother where I lived until I was 11.  Despite our age differences, Gladys and I were raised as sisters.

After my Mom moved me to Tennessee, I continued to spend my summers in Philadelphia until I got married.

The Mystery

Where’s the mystery in all of this?  God is omniscient and He knew that Gladys would have no siblings or children to take care of her in her old age.  He knew that my family would be her family and that we would be her caregivers.  I marvel sometimes that my mom and Gladys are about the same age but my mom is in good health and of sound mind.

Gladys has many physical disabilities and she has dementia.  She thinks she still lives in Philadelphia.  She knows who I am but she calls me by my daughter’s name.  Sometimes she has flashbacks and calls me “sister.”

Why I Chose to Share This

We don’t know what the future holds for us but it is possible to prepare for the unexpected.  Every Sunday our pastors tell us to get our lives in order.  Of course they are talking about salvation and living a godly life.  However, we also need to get our lives in order with a will, advance directives, and a power of attorney in case we become unable to make decisions for ourselves.

I was surprised when I received those documents from Gladys’ attorney in 1993.  I don’t know how she had the foresight to execute the documents but they sure came in handy in 2005 when she had a stroke and couldn’t make her own decisions.  God had already worked it out.

I hope this post will encourage you to get your life in order and execute the necessary documents to take care of your future. I also hope to encourage someone to look out for elderly family members and family friends who need help navigating through old age.

Enjoy your Mother’s Day!

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Tags: advance directives, caregiving, Elder Care, God works in mysterious ways, prepare for old age