November 16, 2011
Two years ago today I started this journal on our youngest granddaughter's birthday. Who could have ever imagined how much this journal would come to mean to me. I have absolutely loved writing about what I "hear" God's word saying. I must admit though, writing about Jeremiah 33 is very bittersweet. On one hand, what a joy to write about the very last scripture Jane (Her Name Was Jane) told us to read—God's promise to restore His people. On the other hand, it is sad to think about being "done" with writing about Jane's God-ordained words because Jeremiah 33 it is the last spoken words Jane divinely gave us.
I can still vividly picture the day. Jane was sitting right outside her room in what I affectionately called her "semi" wheelchair because it was so large and looming because of the way it reclined to keep her body in an upright position.The nurses had parked her wheelchair alongside the wall facing the end of the hallway. Her head was slumped forward. She appeared to be sleeping. I went into Jane's room, picked up her Bible and a side chair and carried them out into the hallway. I sat down directly in front of her. Her health wasn't good from the day I met her but now it was rapidly declining. I knew her time left on this earth was short. I carried on a one-sided conversation for a few minutes and then I began to read to her from the Psalms. Psalm 1. Psalm 8. Psalm 124–126. Psalm 139, and other Psalms. There was no response.
Because I knew Jane's days left on this earth were limited, I decided to read Jeremiah 29:11–14 to her. "I know the plans I have for you....". I wanted her to feel comfort and the reassurance of God's plan for her life as she faced her final journey. I finished reading and started to close her Bible, and then Jane spoke. In a soft but clear voice she said—"Jeremiah 33." It had been seven months since Jane had requested a specific passage for me to read. Jane made comments about memorizing Psalm 1 back in January and said "precious promise" about Psalm 121 shortly after that, but other than those two comments, there had been no other mention of what to read since she asked us to read Isaiah 30 in September of 2007.
I must admit, my heart was pounding as I turned to Jeremiah 33. Does God have another message for us? I began to read. Restoration! Jeremiah was still locked up, but God was promising restoration to His people. We are still "locked up" in "the storm," but God used Jane as His mouthpiece one last time. His last divinely sent promise—an amazing promise of restoration. I laid Jane's Bible in my lap, I took both her hands in mine and I began to pray. With tears in my eyes, I thanked God for allowing our paths to cross. I thanked Him for Jane's life and how He divinely used her words to speak to us. I thanked him for the privilege of reading his words to his faithful servant. I concluded my prayer by asking God to surround her with His love, and that like Elisha of old, she would be able to see the angels surrounding her. When I finished praying Jane tried to pray. Puh. Puh. Puh. After many repeated attempts Jane got out three words. "Puh. Puh. Praise.the.LORD."
Everything had come full circle. The first scripture Jane told us to read was Psalm 150, an entire Psalm of Praise. And now Jane's last words to us were, "Praise the LORD." Of everything Jane taught us, by far the most important was the concept of praising the LORD for who He is. Everything else falls into place when we spend our lives first and foremost praising the LORD.
On my way home I called my husband to tell him what had just happened. Restoration! I also called our daughter. She said, "What if Jane meant Jeremiah 30:3?" So I looked it up. "The days will come when I will bring Israel and Judah back from captivity," says the LORD. "I will return them to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will own it!" says the LORD. The exact same message as Jeremiah 33—Restoration!
A few hours after I arrived home, the nursing home called. Jane was dying. Could I come in? I jumped in the car and took off. I called my husband on the way so I could tell him what was happening. I arrived at the nursing home and rushed to her room. She was still alive! Jane's Power Of Attorney was already there. She sat on one side of the bed holding one of Jane's hands. I sat on the other side of the bed holding Jane's other hand. Jane was extremely weak, but she raised her POA's hand and she raised my hand and she slowly moved our hands together over her body. Jane's POA asked Jane, "Are you trying to bring us together?" Jane nodded her head as if to say—Yes. I knew Jane had a POA but I had never met her, and Jane's POA knew someone came to see Jane every week but she had no idea who, or the story behind it. We sat on either side of Jane's bed and talked all night.
As we talked, I shared our story and Jane's impact on our lives. With tears in her eyes Jane's POA said, "Now I know why." She went on to explain that in early '07, Jane was put into Hospice care. This would have been just shortly after I first met Jane. Everyone at the nursing home thought Jane was dying. During the time she was in Hospice, Jane developed a bladder infection. Hospice made the decision (specific to this case) not to treat the infection. Jane's POA explained to me that for some unknown reason, she strongly felt she needed to pull Jane from Hospice so she could be treated for the infection... and that is what she did. After hearing our story, and with tears running down her cheeks she said, "Now I know why."
You have to understand, it would have been so much easier (and understandable) for Jane's POA to have just let Jane die. She shared with me how she had always resented Jane's Pennsylvania family for not taking Jane in. And here she was—a co-worker—just someone Jane worked with at World Missionary Press, carrying the weight and burden of being Jane's POA for years! It would have been so much easier for her to be done with this "job" and let Jane die, but she knew! She didn't know why, but she knew she had to do what was necessary to allow Jane to live! And here was the "why" sitting across from her and Jane was bringing our hands together. (I never thought about this before, but imagine being Jane and listening to our conversation and witnessing first-hand how God's hand was directing her life even though she was old, alone, and in a nursing home. There is one thing I absolutely KNOW, and that is Jane was praising her Lord and Savior while listening to us talk.)
I called Jane's adopted sister in PA to let her know Jane was dying. She immediately made plans to fly out. I picked her up at the airport and she stayed in our home. She got to spend several days with Jane. I'm so grateful Jane got to feel the presence of her earthly family beside her and her adopted sister got to once again see Jane (who was also her mother-figure) and say the things she wanted to say before Jane passed. When Jane's POA met Jane's adopted sister, her long held resentment towards Jane's PA family vanished. I really enjoyed meeting Jane's sister as well. What a special time listening to her tell stories of Jane's younger years, their excursions on the Appalachian Trail, and her fond memories of her "sister."
Jane lived for another week. Many memories were made during that week. I remember one night (as Jane's POA and I were standing on one side of the bed and my husband on the other side), Jane kept looking over at my husband and then looked upward. She lifted her hand, pointing upward and said, "Up! Up!" It was as if she was seeing a glimpse of heaven and wanted to make sure my husband saw it as well. I remember another special time. It was in the afternoon and it was just Jane and I alone together in her room. I wanted to sing some of the great and timeless old hymns to her so I went in search of a hymnal and found one in the cafeteria. As I stood by her bedside singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness," I looked down to see Jane's lips moving in perfect timing to:
The night before Jane died, her sister and I were both in her room. Her sister was at the foot of the bed. I was on the left side of the bed holding Jane's hand. Jane had not responded to anything in days. I thanked her for all she had taught me; I told her I loved her; and I said, "Good-bye Jane." And incredibly, Jane clearly mouthed the words—Good-Bye. I said, "Did you see that? Jane said good-bye." Her sister came to the side of the bed. I told Jane once again that I loved her. I thanked her once again, I said "Good-bye Jane," and once again Jane clearly mouthed—"Good-Bye."
Her sister's flight left the next morning. We stopped by the nursing home for her final visit on our way to the airport. An oxygen mask now covered Jane's mouth. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. Jane was now in the active stages of dying. I believe she was in a coma. Her sister said her good-byes, I told Jane once again how much I loved her, and we left for the airport. We received the call just shortly after arriving at the airport. Jane passed to her eternal home just minutes after we left her bedside. Jane's final earthly journey was complete, she was now in the safety of her eternal home.
Praise the LORD!
Next Entry: How God Brought our Paths Together
Two years ago today I started this journal on our youngest granddaughter's birthday. Who could have ever imagined how much this journal would come to mean to me. I have absolutely loved writing about what I "hear" God's word saying. I must admit though, writing about Jeremiah 33 is very bittersweet. On one hand, what a joy to write about the very last scripture Jane (Her Name Was Jane) told us to read—God's promise to restore His people. On the other hand, it is sad to think about being "done" with writing about Jane's God-ordained words because Jeremiah 33 it is the last spoken words Jane divinely gave us.
I can still vividly picture the day. Jane was sitting right outside her room in what I affectionately called her "semi" wheelchair because it was so large and looming because of the way it reclined to keep her body in an upright position.The nurses had parked her wheelchair alongside the wall facing the end of the hallway. Her head was slumped forward. She appeared to be sleeping. I went into Jane's room, picked up her Bible and a side chair and carried them out into the hallway. I sat down directly in front of her. Her health wasn't good from the day I met her but now it was rapidly declining. I knew her time left on this earth was short. I carried on a one-sided conversation for a few minutes and then I began to read to her from the Psalms. Psalm 1. Psalm 8. Psalm 124–126. Psalm 139, and other Psalms. There was no response.
Because I knew Jane's days left on this earth were limited, I decided to read Jeremiah 29:11–14 to her. "I know the plans I have for you....". I wanted her to feel comfort and the reassurance of God's plan for her life as she faced her final journey. I finished reading and started to close her Bible, and then Jane spoke. In a soft but clear voice she said—"Jeremiah 33." It had been seven months since Jane had requested a specific passage for me to read. Jane made comments about memorizing Psalm 1 back in January and said "precious promise" about Psalm 121 shortly after that, but other than those two comments, there had been no other mention of what to read since she asked us to read Isaiah 30 in September of 2007.
I must admit, my heart was pounding as I turned to Jeremiah 33. Does God have another message for us? I began to read. Restoration! Jeremiah was still locked up, but God was promising restoration to His people. We are still "locked up" in "the storm," but God used Jane as His mouthpiece one last time. His last divinely sent promise—an amazing promise of restoration. I laid Jane's Bible in my lap, I took both her hands in mine and I began to pray. With tears in my eyes, I thanked God for allowing our paths to cross. I thanked Him for Jane's life and how He divinely used her words to speak to us. I thanked him for the privilege of reading his words to his faithful servant. I concluded my prayer by asking God to surround her with His love, and that like Elisha of old, she would be able to see the angels surrounding her. When I finished praying Jane tried to pray. Puh. Puh. Puh. After many repeated attempts Jane got out three words. "Puh. Puh. Praise.the.LORD."
Everything had come full circle. The first scripture Jane told us to read was Psalm 150, an entire Psalm of Praise. And now Jane's last words to us were, "Praise the LORD." Of everything Jane taught us, by far the most important was the concept of praising the LORD for who He is. Everything else falls into place when we spend our lives first and foremost praising the LORD.
On my way home I called my husband to tell him what had just happened. Restoration! I also called our daughter. She said, "What if Jane meant Jeremiah 30:3?" So I looked it up. "The days will come when I will bring Israel and Judah back from captivity," says the LORD. "I will return them to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will own it!" says the LORD. The exact same message as Jeremiah 33—Restoration!
A few hours after I arrived home, the nursing home called. Jane was dying. Could I come in? I jumped in the car and took off. I called my husband on the way so I could tell him what was happening. I arrived at the nursing home and rushed to her room. She was still alive! Jane's Power Of Attorney was already there. She sat on one side of the bed holding one of Jane's hands. I sat on the other side of the bed holding Jane's other hand. Jane was extremely weak, but she raised her POA's hand and she raised my hand and she slowly moved our hands together over her body. Jane's POA asked Jane, "Are you trying to bring us together?" Jane nodded her head as if to say—Yes. I knew Jane had a POA but I had never met her, and Jane's POA knew someone came to see Jane every week but she had no idea who, or the story behind it. We sat on either side of Jane's bed and talked all night.
As we talked, I shared our story and Jane's impact on our lives. With tears in her eyes Jane's POA said, "Now I know why." She went on to explain that in early '07, Jane was put into Hospice care. This would have been just shortly after I first met Jane. Everyone at the nursing home thought Jane was dying. During the time she was in Hospice, Jane developed a bladder infection. Hospice made the decision (specific to this case) not to treat the infection. Jane's POA explained to me that for some unknown reason, she strongly felt she needed to pull Jane from Hospice so she could be treated for the infection... and that is what she did. After hearing our story, and with tears running down her cheeks she said, "Now I know why."
You have to understand, it would have been so much easier (and understandable) for Jane's POA to have just let Jane die. She shared with me how she had always resented Jane's Pennsylvania family for not taking Jane in. And here she was—a co-worker—just someone Jane worked with at World Missionary Press, carrying the weight and burden of being Jane's POA for years! It would have been so much easier for her to be done with this "job" and let Jane die, but she knew! She didn't know why, but she knew she had to do what was necessary to allow Jane to live! And here was the "why" sitting across from her and Jane was bringing our hands together. (I never thought about this before, but imagine being Jane and listening to our conversation and witnessing first-hand how God's hand was directing her life even though she was old, alone, and in a nursing home. There is one thing I absolutely KNOW, and that is Jane was praising her Lord and Savior while listening to us talk.)
I called Jane's adopted sister in PA to let her know Jane was dying. She immediately made plans to fly out. I picked her up at the airport and she stayed in our home. She got to spend several days with Jane. I'm so grateful Jane got to feel the presence of her earthly family beside her and her adopted sister got to once again see Jane (who was also her mother-figure) and say the things she wanted to say before Jane passed. When Jane's POA met Jane's adopted sister, her long held resentment towards Jane's PA family vanished. I really enjoyed meeting Jane's sister as well. What a special time listening to her tell stories of Jane's younger years, their excursions on the Appalachian Trail, and her fond memories of her "sister."
Jane lived for another week. Many memories were made during that week. I remember one night (as Jane's POA and I were standing on one side of the bed and my husband on the other side), Jane kept looking over at my husband and then looked upward. She lifted her hand, pointing upward and said, "Up! Up!" It was as if she was seeing a glimpse of heaven and wanted to make sure my husband saw it as well. I remember another special time. It was in the afternoon and it was just Jane and I alone together in her room. I wanted to sing some of the great and timeless old hymns to her so I went in search of a hymnal and found one in the cafeteria. As I stood by her bedside singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness," I looked down to see Jane's lips moving in perfect timing to:
"Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; Great is thy faithfulness LORD unto me."Incredible. She was to weak to speak but she was moving her lips in perfect timing to sing praises to her LORD about HIS faithfulness.
The night before Jane died, her sister and I were both in her room. Her sister was at the foot of the bed. I was on the left side of the bed holding Jane's hand. Jane had not responded to anything in days. I thanked her for all she had taught me; I told her I loved her; and I said, "Good-bye Jane." And incredibly, Jane clearly mouthed the words—Good-Bye. I said, "Did you see that? Jane said good-bye." Her sister came to the side of the bed. I told Jane once again that I loved her. I thanked her once again, I said "Good-bye Jane," and once again Jane clearly mouthed—"Good-Bye."
Her sister's flight left the next morning. We stopped by the nursing home for her final visit on our way to the airport. An oxygen mask now covered Jane's mouth. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. Jane was now in the active stages of dying. I believe she was in a coma. Her sister said her good-byes, I told Jane once again how much I loved her, and we left for the airport. We received the call just shortly after arriving at the airport. Jane passed to her eternal home just minutes after we left her bedside. Jane's final earthly journey was complete, she was now in the safety of her eternal home.
Praise the LORD!
Next Entry: How God Brought our Paths Together
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