December 10, 2004

06 "After the Ride" Statue of President Reagan The Presidential Library... I am so very glad that he is still remembered and well loved. Not a perfect man by a longshot , but an honest one and I admired that about him

It is said that even in the twilight of his life Mr. Reagan would rise if a lady entered the room. His nurses spoke of his unfailing courtesy as they attended him with some days his only words were "excuse me"... Habits...ingrained from youth came out when there was no conscious effort to utilize them...

The lady who was our caregiver as young children had Multiple Sclerosis, a wasting degenerative disease. This talented musician, painter, and speaker, got to the place where she was helpless, could not move a muscle and hardly speak. But she saved her few words to say that which was the most important thing to her... " Do you know Jesus?" She would witness to those that would stop at her home (by a major highway) to ask to use the phone to call for help. She was never harmed or robbed though her door was open day and night. Her caregivers were in awe of her faith and her courage in adversity... It wasn't until she was unable to get in home care consistently that she was moved to a nursing home. There she would ask to have someone write a letter for her, usually to her children. She would carefully spell out the plan of salvation in the letter. Her pastor son recalled this at her funeral and said when he confronted his mom she said "everytime I have a new nurse, I need to do this..." Amazing...

It is said that you don't know the content of a teabag till you place it in hot water then squeeze it well... Lord let me be like these in such adversity of body and mind.