Monday, December 27, 2010

Brown Leaves

A couple of days ago, our family traveled north to Tallahassee; for the purpose of spending Christmas with my parents and brother.   The early winter had already frozen most of the trees and underlying foliage, but a few multicolored leaves remained.  Because of my father’s worsening Parkinson’s disease, this year’s Christmas was not shaping up to be much better than the Thanksgiving season we had just shared last month.  (My Dad landed in the hospital just as the Thanksgiving weekend ended.)  

Two weeks ago, I was back up here again to assisting my Mom in find a different Rehabilitation program.  Dad was moved last weekend and the transition had been, “challenging.”  Although first diagnosed in 2006, his Parkinson’s had been well controlled until he completed a simple procedure requiring anesthesia.   My father’s normal walk worsened to at best a crawl.  Periodic freezing of his major muscle groups began to dramatically affect his speech, vision, and ability to even remain lucid.  As we pulled into town, signs of a cold gray winter mirrored the dark atmosphere I was already anticipating.        

On Christmas Day, my son’s girlfriend’s grandfather unexpectedly passed away. Yesterday, Bradley drove me back to Orlando so he could help comfort his girlfriend.   After getting him set up with a buddy to spend the week with, I then hopped in the car and drove back up to Tallahassee, (about a five hour drive.)  About thirty minutes into the trip, my wife Cindy called to tell me that the morning had not gone well.  She had stayed with Dad while my Mom and Brother went to church.  Dad had been a little agitated and was resisting therapies.  We knew the facts.  Parkinson’s disease is a chronic progressive condition that, if taken to its natural conclusion, ends with one-on-one direct care.  My mind began to race with next step options.  I wondered what if Dad became combative was kicked out of his current facility?  Needless to say, none of the alternatives were positive. 

Heavy gray clouds hung above me all the way back to Tallahassee.  I was keenly aware of the depression seeping in.   My thoughts and the radio weren’t helping.  Reaching into my box of CD’s, I grabbed one Cindy and I use for praise and worship in the choir we sing in at church.  Halfway into the trip the doldrums began to lift.   I did what I had been trained to do.  I got my praise on!   In no time, the worship music redirected my thoughts to what an amazing all powerful God we serve.  I was reminded of who I am in Christ and the many promises I possess as His son.  I remembered that I am always being sheltered under His strong wings and empowered to face any challenge fearlessly because the Creator of everything resides in me.  He can sustain me through any and every challenge I face.  No matter what laid ahead, with God I could Move Forward! 

The Bible tells us that our praise to God attracts his presence to us.   He’s always there, but when we begin to praise God that honors Him.   Then He lets us experience His presence in a variety of ways.   The Lord brought to mind some other key thoughts I had been taught over the years.   One is that doubting and complaining kept God’s people wondering around in the wilderness for forty years.  On the flip side, by trusting God and thanking Him for all His benefits, we participate in having our atmosphere changed.   Instead of living in a land of doubt, frustration, and depression we can choose to live in the Promise Land God has provided.   Even if we face death it will not overwhelm us.  We each have countless friends and family members already rejoicing on the other side, encouraging us in our race forward in Christ. 

I began to think of King David and the many battles he faced, often sending his secret weapon out first.  The power of Praise!   The weapon of praise and thanksgiving confuses our enemy (Satan) who wants to deceive and overpower our thinking.   Praise changes everything!  

I once heard Joyce Meyer make a statement that, “When jumping we have to first go down to get the power and strength we need to shoot up forward.”   How many times do we seem to be going backward just before the breakthrough comes? 

As I began pulling into town, bright rays of sunshine began to break through those droopy clouds that had preoccupied me all day long.   The overcast skies were breaking up.  Those barren trees I had focused on earlier that morning, taunting me with the harsh realities and fragility of life, had now been lit up with a brilliant light.  The lingering vegetation which still clung to the withering tree branches, now shimmered with multicolored beauty, as pure penetrating light overwhelmed internal weakness.  The simple changing of the leaves reminded me that though with age our competence may fade, yet if we choose to let Him; the all powerful light of God can transcend our natural capabilities displaying his SUPER-natural power.   Light always wipes out darkness. 

As I parked the car on the way up to the Rehab Center I was reminded of Paul’s compelling words in 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 (NLT):
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”


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