People give up things for Lent. This year I decided not to give anything up but rather to add some things. I’m spending dedicated time each day in prayer, reading a devotional daily with my husband, and listening intently to and for God in my every day life.
Things have been pretty tough lately with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. Watching my own parents age, moving through transitions with them, and walking beside them as they surrendered their independence was not easy. We now face some of these same experiences with my in-laws. It creates great stress for everyone, especially Tim. He wants to do the right things, say the right things and make the best decisions for his parents. He supported me so lovingly with my mom and dad, and I am doing what I can to help him. Sometimes it seems like there is nothing you can say or do, except pray. So I’ve been praying. And Sunday the answer to prayer came in a sermon at church titled Honoring Your Mother and Father. It was exactly what we needed to hear. We don’t honor out of obligation. We honor out of love.
When we were enjoying lunch after the worship service, Tim said “Could that service have been any more perfect for me right now?” Thanks be to God.
And today God revealed something to me I wasn’t expecting. One of my students walked out of the classroom with me and asked if she could ask me a personal question. You know I’m the “what you see is what you get girl” so I said yes, of course. She asked if she had heard correctly one day during class that I mentioned my father dying of pancreatic cancer? I told her yes. She went on to ask about the details including how old I was at the time and if his life lasted very long after the diagnosis. She then told me her mom died of the same cancer just this past November at the age of 44. We then talked about this horrible cancer that claimed the lives of our parents. We talked about faith helping us through it and how we’re both fearful of the family history.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her and our conversation this morning. I can’t help but think this new relationship might be the entire reason I started teaching. God is so good. He knows when we need others and when they need us. He knows the right messages to deliver at the right time. He knows everything about us.
During this Lent season, let’s savor these moments in life and give praise for relationships and community.