Find that hidden place

8:37 p.m. Today's project was to prepare our home for the third Christmas celebration we've hosted this week. After Christmas Eve service, we enjoyed the company of our daughters and their husbands, and Heather's in-laws the Loves. Steven had been home all day, in from Fresno at 4 a.m., but wasn't feeling very well. I'm not remembering whether he ate with us, but went upstairs to lie down when we had dessert and games. Then he abruptly ended our party by calling "mom" from upstairs to help him during an attack of violent illness. Since I had to put Steve to bed at the same time, I unceremoniously yelled down my request that everyone there clean up! My daughters and our guests helped, bless their hearts, so I could focus on my two Steve(n)s. I was up so late with Steven that I posted my Christmas message on this blog on Christmas Day!



Christmas day itself was fantastic, and I was super blessed to have all five kids and their spouses with us.,. Today's gathering of Steve's family (and my dad) was just plain fun, with tons of dips, treats and munchies for the large crowd. We had every stage, from grandparents to two-tear-olds, veteran marrieds to our newest bride -to-be, Kendra, engaged to our nephew David.

Steve enjoyed the visiting, had no problem with the noisiness of the little ones, and only spilled a little food. His sister Linda and her husband Mike took him out for a brief walk, before our riotous "White Elephant" game. I think my hastily-assembled bag of hospital supplies was the most obnoxious gift, but the plush singing reindeer was a close second (See above).

Proverbs 17:22 says,

A merry heart does good like medicine. We had a huge dose of guffaws tonight!

I wish I could say that Steve's evening continued to go well. Instead of limiting himself to one dessert choice, (his sister's cheesecake) as we'd agreed upon earlier, he took advantage of my moments away as hostess, or even when I got up to get more food for the two of us, to nosh on several kinds of cookies and sweets,. It's difficult now to tell him that he shouldn't have any more than a limited portion, especially with company present.

Steve has always had low blood sugar issues, so he disciplined himself to eat sugar free ice cream and I moved to baking with low-sugar alternatives. The whole family embarked on a healthly diet via Shaklee products and wholesome nutrition. But now, with Steve unable to self-monitor on any segment of his life, he depends upon me, and I am quite consistent in limiting his sugar intake. But in a social situation, Steve just sees a sweet and can't project into the next hour to remember how sugar will soon affect him. And I'd even made sure he'd had a couple of tamales and other sources of protein first!

Tonight, Steve staggered and stumbled as we walked out to the dumpsters to empty garbage. Instead of continuing the cleanup of the downstairs floor, I had to walk out wth him and physically turn his body in the direction of the correct dumpster: paper recycle, green yard waste, or brown regular garbage. It's very tiring in the late hours when I'm finally able to get to my duties, after I've first put him to bed. So the consequences  of sugar fall quite heavily on me. He actually made an angry comment this evening! And if Steve had walked out on the sidewalk, he could have been arrested for public drunkenness, his walking was so uncoordinated, his limited speech slurred, and his eyes so unfocused..

So I suggested that he sit down and pray for help to the Lord who has, is and will be granting healing to those who ask, seek and knock.He nodded off, and then I led him upstairs to bed. (Luke 11:8-9)

I am not sure how to handle social eating with Steve, other than to avoid it, but that's not healthy for me or him emotionally, to become isolated from family and peers. If I can ask for help I do, like at Home Fellowship where the hostess Brenda puts desserts on the far back table in deference to my need to select perhaps one small cookie for Steve rather than leave desserts within his reach.

Believe me, I will be asking, seeking and knocking on heaven's door for strategies and techniques to employ that I might be prepared. A favorite Proverb( 27:12) says,

A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.

Lord, please show me where to find that hidden place of wisdom and safety for my husband and me! In Jesus' name, amen!