A Spontaneous Turn of Events

Last Tuesday my Mom, who lives near San Antonio, had her second knee replacement surgery. Having waited until she could bear it no longer, she finally has a working pair of knees. When she returned home from the hospital, however, she discovered that her husband, who is quite older than she, could not care for her as she needed. She called on Friday not long after arriving home and asked if I could possibly come down to help. I had a discussion with Jim and Kate, and called Mom back to let her know that both Kate and I were coming, and while I could only stay for the weekend, Kate would continue on with them for another couple of weeks. We booked a flight and arrived within 24 hours of her first call. Indeed, a miracle of modern times.

Mom's utter delight as we walked through the door was enough to justify the trip. Her little home is full to overflowing and she could hardly get around, especially with a walker. Kate got right to work in the kitchen while I worked on clearing mom's room and hallway. I am amazed with Kate. I didn't have to say a word, she pitched right in and worked until almost midnight that first night. Waking up at 6 am is normally out of the question for my sweet Kate, but she hopped right up in the morning to continue on her project while I visited with Mom and continued the cleaning in her room. I was so proud of my daughter as she embodied what I had read only that day on the flight down to Texas:

"…of Christians something even more is required than to show a cheerful countenance and to render their duties pleasing with friendly words. First, they must put themselves in the place of him whom they see in need of their assistance, and pity his ill fortune as if they themselves experienced and bore it, so that they may be impelled by a feeling of mercy and humaneness to go to his aid just as to their own." (Calvin, in Book II, chapter 7:7 of his Institutes of Christian the Religion)

I am now flying home to be Mommy and Wife, and the several other titles I sometimes wear. Kate had a moment of "overwhelm" as I was leaving, but had recovered by the time I called her from the airport. She will have the use of Mom and Fred's car in order to make trips to the store, which will also allow her to stop in at Starbucks and hop online occasionally. Aunt LaRue has graciously agreed to give Kate an afternoon of respite- no small task, since the drive is almost an hour for her. I will return at the end of the two weeks to spend a few days again as Kate finishes up. Meanwhile I am praying that she will be given wisdom, grace and peace from God as she labors in His name to serve her Grandmommy, that she would not grow weary in her task, (Gal. 6:9). We have never really lived close enough to my Mom for my children to get to know her personally, beyond phone calls and occasional visits. I pray that this is a blessed time for them learn more about one another and seal their family bond. (I'm sure Kate will hear lots of stories about my childhood which she has not had occasion to hear as well… oh boy.)