It was the first of October, when I received the panicked call that my daughter was with my mother and my mother had what they believed to be a stroke. I was torn over comforting my daughter and being with my mother.
I made it to the hospital and was met with resistance from the Emergency Room receptionist. The physician was waiting on me (Mom’s health care proxy) to make the difficult decision as to whether or not my mother should have surgery. I remember praying for help from God to determine what to do. My mother could not speak for herself. The surgeon asked that Mom give a “thumbs up” for surgery. Due to the stroke, she did not respond appropriately. I prayed and asked the Lord for help. I was not sure what to do, but I knew it was my job to honor her wishes.
Mom had always said she did not want a breathing tube or to be on any machines. The surgeon explained that having surgery may result in having to place her on a ventilator to help her breathe. I was torn, as I asked her one more time to help me. This time, Mom raised her left leg straight up to the ceiling! The decision was made to have surgery.
I remember looking into my mom’s blank, scared, brown eyes, instructing her to listen for the voice of God above all the noise she would hear in surgery.
She came out of surgery, with NO breathing tube, no machines!
The fight continued. My mom could not communicate. Her yesses and noes were not consistent. She could not form words. She could not write or type.
I prayed for eyes to see and ears to hear. I prayed for healing. I prayed for hope. I prayed for Mom. I prayed for the hospital staff. I prayed for me. I prayed for my family. I prayed for all those who loved my mother.
There were many times I heard “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
As I was fighting for my mom, the woman who gave me life, I trusted in our Creator! He made our paths straight…
He got Mom through surgery with no need for a breathing tube. He provided visitation every day in the middle of a pandemic. He guided me to advocate for the next step, moving my mother through a treatment plan that we all could handle, until He called her to be with Him.
Through it all I knew and believed in Exodus 14:14 “The Lord shall fight for you. Just stay calm.” NLT
The ESV version says “The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.”
Thank You Lord for walking with us, keeping me calm and helping me understand the silence. Thank You for always fighting for us!
