It was Christmas Eve, probably 2002 or 2003. The seven years I cared for my Mom were a blur of many days that ran together. Before going further, I want you to know this is a story of encouragement (!), especially for those of you going through a difficult time that seems magnified by the Christmas holidays. I can deeply relate.
Here’s a bit of backstory leading up to that day. My Mom was a strong Christian and a retired OR nurse. She unexpectedly developed an illness called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) which has no definitive cause or cure. It’s primarily due to an overgrowth of the tau protein in certain areas of the brain which destroys neurons as it progresses. An otherwise healthy person will eventually become bed-ridden, unable to speak (six out of seven years for my Mom), and many require a feeding tube, as she did. That’s the point we were at on that Christmas Eve.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m an only child, so it was just Mom and I, plus part time health aides I hired so I could work – so I could pay them. Eventually it was too much and I lost the house.
I journaled a lot through this long, hard, and very sad journey. I poured out my heart to God on the pages of those books because at times I felt like I was down a deep well and no one knew I was there. I couldn’t see a rope or a ladder, only a speck of light somewhere far above. It lessened the heavy burden I was carrying to lay down my pain in words. I left them there for God to see and to ask Him to help Mom and I get through the “finish line” – the day she went to Heaven – and He did!
This was the reality of where we were that Christmas Eve, just the two of us. I only had enough money to buy myself a magazine and whatever else for about 20 bucks and for Mom some new pajamas and lightly-scented lotion – someone that’s bed-bound is easy to shop for! The Christmas Eve meal of our traditional Swedish food wasn’t possible because she wasn’t able to swallow.
I was feeling as low as I had ever been that evening, sitting next to her, when the doorbell rang.
I opened the door and it was my neighbor Don with a beautiful bouquet of two dozen red roses! He said someone had sent them to him and his wife but they were going out of town and wanted us to have them. He had no idea red roses were my Mom’s favorite flowers.
With tears in my eyes, I put them on the counter where she could see them, thanking God for this beautiful gift. Soon after, the doorbell rang again and it was my neighbors on the other side of our house with two big trays of food! One with lots of sandwiches and the other full of cookies and desserts! They said they had too much and wanted to share.
The tears are flowing again as I remember and write about this. I KNOW beyond a doubt that this was no coincidence. I don’t believe in coincidence, I believe in God’s providence and provision. It was He who visited us that night by delivering these gifts through the love of people who acted upon what was maybe an angelic nudge to bless us – flowers for Mom and Christmas meals for me. It was a custom-tailored, hand-delivered miracle we both knew was meant for us when we needed comfort and joy so badly. It filled our souls with His love and presence.
There are several verses in the Holy Bible that reveal the heart of God toward widows (my Mom) and the fatherless (my Dad died when I was 15). Here’s just one of many, found in Deuteronomy 10:17-18 (NIV):
“For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.“
It wasn’t one rose and a sandwich and a cookie. It was a lavishly generous gift of two dozen roses and platters of food I couldn’t afford! It was so over the top there was no doubt that what occurred was the Lord still fulfilling this promise made around 1400 B.C. In Hebrews 13:8 (NIV), we read that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
He truly saw us. He gave us His mercy. He showed us that He truly loved us!
I remember this time of my life as a personal “stone of remembrance.” – a term given to a marker that recalls God’s faithfulness. In the Bible, the Israelites built a monument of stones from the middle of the Jordan River as they crossed into the Promised Land in Joshua 4:1-9.
It’s also an ongoing Jewish tradition to place a stone instead of temporary flowers on graves. They often have the word ”Zachor” or “Remember” engraved on them, symbolizing a lasting connection and tribute.
I don’t know what trials you may be going through today, but God does. Pour out your heart to Him in prayer and be strong in your faith because of who He is. If you aren’t a Christian, you can become one right now. Click this link about How to Become a Christian and pray to receive His forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life. Then you can claim all of the Heavenly Father’s promises He’s given you as His child in His Word, the Holy Bible.
I also don’t know how God will answer you, but He will, and it will be personal and unmistakable and likely unexpected so you can be sure to know that He is the Giver and Promise-Keeper you can depend on. Nothing is impossible for Him (read Luke 1:37).
The happy ending to this story? My Mom has been in Heaven for many Christmases now and one day I will be there too. You can join us! Let’s spread the good news to everyone we know and pray they will join us too!
RESET HIGHER: If you are a Christian, look back on your life and see God’s faithfulness to you. What “stones of remembrance” mark personal milestones in your trust in Him?
If you’re a new believer, you can start collecting them!
