What if you're not a detail person? Day 3

5:41 p.m. Today's project was to take my husband Steve to Raincross to live. If ever there was a need to trust God, go forward only as He led, and lean on the prayers of scores of believers, this was it. This morning, I woke up before 5 a.m. I could have lain in bed and waited to see if I'd go back to sleep, but I got up, put on my robe and slippers, and read the September 8 devotional selection from Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening. The topic verse was Hosea 14:8 (KJV):

From me is thy fruit found.

Spurgeon talks about our fruit--what I describe as the beneficial effects our faith has upon others in this life-- being found "by virtue of our union with Christ," as grapes owe their existence to the plant's root. He continues:

The fruit owes much to the root--that is essential to fruitfulness--but it owes very much also to external providences. How much we owe to God's grace-providence! in which He provides us constantly with quickening, teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we want [lack]. To this we owe our all of usefulness or virtue.

Our fruit comes from God as to wise husbandry. The gardener's sharp knife promotes the fruitfulness of the tree...So it is, Christian, with that pruning which the Lord gives to thee.

I've been humorously writing about being a "vision" person, rather than a detail specialist, but today every detail had to fall into place in order to make for a smooth transition for Steve. Before the caregiver Elias went to awaken Steve, I reviewed the day's plan with him. At 9:00, he was to take Steve out, for food and any other activity, and not return until 10:30. That would allow my daughter Heidi and her husband Pavel, my son-in-law Nick and his father John, who brought a truck, to load the bed, its frame, a night stand, rocker and lamp without Steve seeing the unusual activity.  I gave Elias some cash, and the day began!

God continued to show me that HIS power would deliver all that needed to be accomplished today, because the verse I posted on Facebook, which came up next in order, was Psalm 44:3, which recounts the way the Israelites conquered Canaan:

For they did not gain possession
  of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save
 them;
But it was Your right hand, Your
  arm, and the light of Your
countenance,
Because You favored them.

Today God gave amazing favor! Elias and Steve had a great morning, eating out and then walking in Andulka Park. We got all of the furniture moved and Steve's room arranged and decorated with family pictures and mementos.  Then came the final test of all of the plans and leading which began with the Spirit and was accomplished through prayer and labor. As I drove Steve and Elias to Raincross, I was thinking like a former musician: this was a command performance which had to go right! After rehearsals and much practice, there was nothing more I could do but take Steve to that front door--there was no room for error in this sensitive moment for both of us. The suspense and tension I felt were building for the simple reason that I had no idea how Steve would react--that was the wild card.

God's favor was the only thing that could have caused Steve to  walk happily into Raincross' foyer, sit comfortably, shake hands and follow the director calmly and easily, and then take his seat for lunch. I was amazed at how he smiled at everything while eating the large lunch Elias fed him. In the middle of the ice cream and cake, having made sure LaChristola (activities director for the memory section) was there as prearranged, I stood up and said, "Steve, I need to take Elias back to get his car at our house, and I'll see you later." We kissed briefly, and home I went in perfect peace! I signed Elias' time sheet, took care of some things in the yards and the house, and sat down to journal my thankfulness.

This evening, I called Raincross and Steve is doing fine, had a good dinner, is socializing and walking around quite a bit. I told the caregiver that even though Steve goes to bed very early here, let him stay up and enjoy an evening activity with everyone else.

I'll visit him tomorrow after church, which will be the first time to go to church without my husband in over 31 years, with rare exceptions. That will be emotional, so I'll sit with Heidi and Pavel tomorrow. But God will be there, giving me His joy in the midst of this trial, of that I am certain.      II Timothy 1:12:

...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day