The right swap

8:34 p.m. Today's project was to take Steve to the last Home Fellowship for 2011. We also brought my macaroni salad and our white elephant gifts which I could no longer identify. I'd wrapped them last Monday, after all. That's a lifetime of Christmas wrapping paper and packages ago!

Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

The Lord knows how to cancel appointments and put others in their place, that's for sure. After church, Steve and I planned to grab something to eat and then drive to a new client's home for a foundation color match. But she called with a family emergency out of town. Meanwhile, daughter Heidi and her husband Pavel needed to come over and work on my computer after teaching Sunday School. So Steve and I went to Winco, stocked up on groceries, and were home in plenty of time to have lunch and spruce the place up a bit. (Isn't it amazing how at some point, your children become guests in their childhood home?!)

The three of us had a nice long visit--I say three because Steve took a nice long nap on the family room couch in the meantime. But having him rested is best for Home Fellowship night. I also managed to "pass on" a few extra ornaments our current Christmas tree isn't big enough to support. I'll see the other kids this week, so I'll keep it up, chipping away at the pile.  "Here a little, there a little..." as Isaiah 28:10 puts it.

Steve had a very shaky time after his nap, so I doubled up on his multivitamin, and made sure he took his Namenda and his anti-spasm medication. I recently mentioned to the caregiver that I want Steve to put his own medication in his mouth and hold the water cup to swallow the pills with. And as far as he can manage, he needs to dress himself. There's nothing to be gained by treating him like a huge infant, causing him to lose all independence and confidence in his own abilities. Again, Steve needs a lot of help, just not 100% help--yet. Even though his confusion is very severe, causing him to stand in front of the patio glass door with a bowl of food for Jada instead of opening the slider and handing it to her, for instance, and being  baffled by putting on his seat belt, he tries very hard to help at home.

As for Home Fellowship, I want him to continue to attend for as long as possible, since he loves to be in fellowship with other believers, even if he doesn't speak.The picture below shows one of the funnier moments of our White Elephant game, with the lucky recipient of a partially eaten sandwich in total shock! Steve also did well in selecting his gift, with my help, and quietly smiled, laughed along and enjoyed all of the wisecracks and as many of the absurd comments that he could comprehend.

Because tonight was a potluck, I knew I needed to fill Steve's plate with the simplest foods, a roll, meat in bite-sized pieces, and avoid the more sugary desserts.  Yet, Steve spilled lots of macaroni salad on the floor beneath him, and has begun putting his fingers in his food--controlling his utensils is just too hard. The hostess and I quickly swept it up, in a very low -key manner. But how long can he keep this up before a real mess occurs? I want to be considerate of the other members of the fellowship.

Or maybe I should leave other people to God! I found out tonight that the couple shown with the pitiful White Elephant gift prays for Steve and me at 5:30 every morning as they leave for work. Amazing, unbelievable, but nothing is impossible with God! He has arranged by the power of His Holy Spirit to have Steve and me covered in prayer before we even awake each morning!

I spend so much time, as people tend to do, praying for what I think I need, while God is providing  one of His finest gifts--intercessors!

That's one swap I'm overjoyed to make--His plans for mine!