"Finding Comfort In God's Word Of Promises..."

January 9th...

Thinking of my good friend Senaida today. Her mother passed in her sleep today. She was in her late 8o's. She lived in a nursing home for about 5 years. It wasn't easy for everyone involved especially my friend Senaida. She wanted to take her mom and live with her but her apartment is not accessible to a wheelchair and no one would watch her mom while she goes teaching the ESL kids at school. Thus, it was a unanimous decision to put her in a nursing home.

Last January first, I asked my good friend if I could tag along to see her mom. We've been good friends for a decade now and I know her mom only through constant stories about her and pictures through the years. For some inevitable reason, I wanted to go. And so we went...

Since the inception of COVID 19, nursing homes and churches are the most targeted places to shut their doors for open visitation. How would you deal with this scenario? I believe that is the hardest to take not to be able to touch, hug, and kiss your loved ones. How much more on them, those that were kept inside waiting when is the next time for their loved one to visit? 

When we were there, I had witnessed before my eyes a pure love between a mother and a daughter. Mind you, it was a four-hour drive, back & forth. But that didn't seem to bother Senaida. She goes to visit her mom 2-3 times a month.                                                                                                                    I knew that we won't be able to go in but it didn't dawn on me how on earth that this is even allowed to happen on our Christian watch? There was this window with the curtains wide opened and there Senaida & her mother exchanged their affection towards each other with gestures and words that will forever be etched on my friend's mind & heart. She brought her mom's favorite snacks and beverages and the attending nurse gladly picked them up at the doorstep where we left the goodies.

 It was cold that early evening. We had to wait in the parking lot until the nursing home residents are done with their dinner. (in their room) For sure, that moment will remain with me in the deep recesses of my brain. So when Senaida told me that her mom passed after exactly a week that I saw her on that window, I thank God that He let me be a part of that sweet moment before her appointed time with the Lord. My friend was talking to me Thursday night, on her way to visit her mom again because she found out that her mom caught pneumonia. I believe God put in my friend's heart to go see her mom immediately as if to say goodbye. And she told me that night, that she was ready and already embraced that possibility. She was at peace of her passing in her sleep and not to suffer any longer. And their greatest comfort in the midst of grief is knowing where their mom went to reside forever. She is with the Lord...