Blessed Beyond Measure

[Jannae aside: Mom specifically wanted her to show up as the author of this post. Many people have expressed gratitude to me and Taylor for keeping this blog updated. All three of us contribute to the posts, but Mom really wanted the recognition this time. 😛]

We have once again had to pivot – this time, we needed to rearrange the house to accommodate a hospital bed. Art is getting weaker; he is not eating and can only take in a little fluid. The hospice nurse visited yesterday, and the disease has progressed. Although no one knows except God, she said Art may only have a couple days, weeks, or months left. While we pray and hope for more time, we know the end is in God’s perfect timing, but now has been much more emotional. We have been giving Art morphine for the pain. It heavily sedates him, and it is very difficult to see him in such a weakened state, yet it’s even harder to see him in pain. 

We are in awe of the many who have reached out, even those whom we have not kept in contact with. We also realize that many have not reached out because they don’t know what to say – know that this is normal. We know that you are praying, and we sense the prayers. We are overwhelmed by the many who have helped us in so many tangible ways. Our fridge is overflowing, and our tummies are full of all the good food and delicious treats. (I think I’m going from pre-diabetic to diabetic.) Thank you for keeping us nourished both physically and spiritually.

Praises:

• I realized at 4 am that the hospital bed that would be delivered later that day was an extra long twin. Taylor asked if I had extra long sheets, and I said I did, although I actually did not. My search at 4 am on Walmart showed that they don’t carry extra long in the store. I reached out to a friend and she not only had one set but two that Taylor picked up. And she washed them for us!
• In preparation for the hospital bed delivery, we had to reorient the bedroom. Friends who stopped by to visit helped move the bed, repair a bookcase, and vacuumed the layers of dust under the bed.
• For the many offers to run errands or pick up things that we crave. 
• A couple of my siblings were planning to visit next week. After informing them of the nurse’s update, they quickly rearranged their plans and came to visit yesterday. My sister who just stayed with us while JanNeal were back in Seattle, returned with her family. My brother drove in from Sacramento and even spent the night as Art’s roommate, allowing me and the girls to get some much needed rest.
• My brother also helped sweep up all the debris in the yard. It looks so much tidier now!
• The hospice staff have been very responsive. 
• There are still glimmers of Art’s humor. Jannae was trying to give him some strawberry milk through a straw, but the straw wasn’t quite in the cup the whole way so he was getting more air than milk. She adjusted the straw, but then Art started blowing bubbles to tease her.

Prayers:

• Discernment in knowing which meds to give and when to keep Art as comfortable as possible.
• Rest for all.
• Patience and understanding. He is not as verbal and is using more body language to communicate. It has been getting harder to understand what Art is saying and what he needs. May we all remain gracious to each other and not get frustrated during these times. [Jannae aside: we are like Marlin in this scene of “Finding Nemo” trying to listen to Squirt.]
• “One thing I ask, from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” Psalms 27:4. May that be the one thing that Art is focused on…to dwell, seek, and gaze on God.

He makes all things beautiful in His time.