11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.Romans 8:11
As I sit at this kitchen table in the home of Linda's mom, I was reflecting on all of the years of traveling there and the memories, some good, some not so good. Over the course of those 20 something years, we've celebrated birthdays, the adoption of children, and we've mourned the loss of a child.
When our kids were younger, they often enjoyed going to the playground behind this house. As a dad, I enjoyed those moments of pushing my kids on the swing, watching my son as he did the hair rising hang upside down from the monkey bars while my daughter played it safer close to the ground.
We've experienced the Warren parade, the Marshall county fair, high school reunions and simply bringing our kids to see their grandparents. I would often enjoy getting a haircut from the only barber in town while, afterward, grabbing a cup of coffee at the 'W' coffee shop with its free wi-fi. There were the memories of Linda shopping with her mom and finding that cute outfit or accessory.
As we drove 6 hours of straight nighttime driving with harsh oncoming headlights, my wife and I were anticipating a variety of mixed emotions as we traveled to Warren.
Just two weeks prior, her brother made the emotional decision that it was time to move their mom into an assistant living apartment. As I write this blog post, Linda and I are staying at her home, I admit this change has been hard on everyone who knew this now 91-year-old woman who achieved her strong body through years of good living on a farm in western North Dakota.
In many ways, we wish our parents would remain just the way we remember them as kids- ageless, full of life and energy. To see them age through time while watching their strength dissipate and their once independent nature require more assistance is emotionally difficult to watch. Oh, how it would be nice to occasionally press the pause button to let the best of their age stay in place.
I have to admit when I saw her new assisted living apartment, all I could say was 'wow', especially when I learned how well she was adapting to this change. One staff person said Marlys sat at the same table in the dining room and was often the one who made everyone feel welcomed and accepted. My 'wow' became 'wow, wow Wow' when I saw the layout of her room. I knew the right decision was made for her. After all, 'mom' grew up in a small town and was at her best remaining in a small town, even it meant having to travel 6 hours to see her.
As I reflect, I'm reminded we have an awesome God, the creator of this universe and the life within, who loves our family members more than we do. While sibling rivalries occasionally impact our ability to respond to each other, God is able to see the big picture and help us care for each other. As a believer in Christ, life is always an adventure filled withGod stories that keep us living a spirit-filled life.
I am reminded of these words from Romans 8:11 which ought to encourage each of us in life: 'The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
This is a reminder to me that we need not worry about the things in this life, not when we have Jesus Christ to give all of our worries to.
While we may miss the way things once were, our God will help us adapt to life's changes that we have an unbearable time of accepting.
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