Life Is Hard ...

Life is hard ... especially as you age.  Two weeks ago my father-in-law was doing remarkably well.  He was looking forward to celebrating his 96th birthday with us on Thanksgiving Day.  In fact, he planned to drive the two hours to come to our house.  He looked and acted like a senior of about 75 years old and had the mind of one who was 55.  Then, while on a routine doctor visit, the doctor sent him to the hospital with dehydration.  During the four days in the hospital he looked better than he had in years.  But a week after being released he was taken to Geisinger Hospital by ambulance with breathing problems.  After consultation with the medical staff it was decided that he would need to be entered in a nursing home and his driving days were ended.  So after spending his birthday in the hospital he was taken Friday to a nursing home in Selinsgrove.  Even though we knew this would happen someday, it is still so hard to watch his life change so dramatically so quickly.  He is being cared for and that is a major relief to us.  And while it has been stressful for us, it is obvious that the Lord has answered many prayers for us during these weeks.  We are very concerned about his wife who is living alone.  We are not sure if she can take care of herself and we have many arrangements still to make to be sure that we can pay their bills. But God is faithful and somehow these problems will be resolved.   In Psalm 71 the Psalmist prays for help in old age.  He cries out "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth."  Later he says "When I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation and thy power to every one that is to come."  Gramps is still sharing the Gospel to everybody he meets - showing God's strength and His power and God is not casting him off but preparing a new home for him.   Life is hard ... but God is good.