Lent Devotional – Challenges

Retirement

I never know what the day may bring.

But I know WHO brings the day.

My wife Jane and I retired in 2011 and moved to Texas to be near our Grandchildren, of course. Soon friends invited us to Celebration Class, then the new Traditional Service. That started me on the road to improving my knowledge and deepening my faith.

So here we were, retired, “Rockin’ and Rollin’’’, playing golf and cards, patio parties, and having fun, fun!  We were able to CHOOSE what we wanted to do and when to do it!

Then Jane started her Alzheimer’s Journey. Boom! I was on top of it, reading books, going to support group meetings, and receiving counsel from friends who had walked that journey, all with lots of prayers. Soon we were on everybody’s prayer list.

Getting her help with someone coming in the home and providing me time out was a must.  As her disease progressed, I found a daycare center where she could get more social stimulation; that worked until it didn’t. Our daughter came to me and said “Dad, it’s time to put mom into residential care; I don’t want to lose both of you.” After a lot of tears and prayers, I agreed.

This was an eight-year Journey. No hope for a cure. Helpless and hopeless, you must make a decision; do you want to become angry and bitter, or do you want to rely on God and his promises to walk with you in these desperate times? During the dark times, I could be prayerfully quiet and feel the prayers from Creekwood and Celebration wrap around me like a blanket of comfort and peace. One time when Pastor David called me to see how I was doing, I told him I didn’t know what to pray for anymore; he said not to worry, “The Holy Spirit was praying to the Father for me”. My prayer as Jane was nearing the end of this life was, ‘God take her as you will; I will be ok, and sooner would be better than later. She’s not having any fun here.”

Jane transitioned to her new life and home in February 2022.

Ok, God, what now do I do? I’m entirely in your hands; use me. If it is your will that I have a deep relationship again, ok; if not, ok. Your choice. Be careful what you (wish) Pray for. Things started coming at me like machine gun fire.

I am now involved in some whole church committees, Bible study, and the reorganization of Celebration Class to get other people’s fingerprints and footprints on the leadership. I help with two Alzheimer’s Support groups and assisted in a grief group in the Fall. As far as a relationship is concerned, POW, a Christian lady, came into this church in a whirlwind, and if you know her, you love her heart.

I started questioning, “Is this all-GOD’S will for me, or am I pushing some of this.” Don’t we always doubt? On a beautiful day, I stopped at the Prayer Garden to have a little talk with God about this doubt. As I sat there for a while praying, the strangest thing happened. Suddenly, all the voices in my head went quiet, and as clear as if they were spoken, I heard, “Grow where you are planted”.

As the songwriter says,

“On my best days, I’m a child of God; and on my worst days, I’m a child of God” Amen!

You are blessed!

Chuck Mundy