I heard a sermon the other day about God's Kingdom and how there's no retirement for there's no age that God can't still use you. My parents have embraced this philosophy. They retired from their careers and moved full time into ministry - an organization that evangelizes and disciples people. I can't give a whole lot of details because I'm not exactly sure what they do, who their affiliated with, and what exactly it is that is requiring so many meetings, donations, and their time. (It's particulary hard to talk to my mother about it because she sounds like a commercial). In the wake of their ministry efforts - in fact - my whole life it seems, they've always been linked to the poor and outcasts - and often they are even taken them into their homes. They are always busy with their projects. One was linked to this international movement of praying 24-7, and in the midst of the 24-7 praying - teams are sent out to evangelize. So in addition to their local ministry, they have linked up with "Love LA" and "Love NY" - a week intensive proselytizing effort - and are currently helping lead "Love the Twin Cities".
However... Pops had to got to the hospital on day two of the event.
My Pops is 72. He's always had a slew of medical issues: seizures when he was young giving him a 4F classification for the military, splenectomy from a car wreck that killed his father, E.coli, endocarditis, major shoulder reconstruction work that resulted in two subsequent infections, he was born with a bi-cuspid heart that aged and required open-heart surgery sooner than most but was delayed because of complications the doctors at Mayo couldn't resolve.
He is better about going to the doctor these days - and he's been sick with low-grade fevers, some dizziness, acute shoulder pain from passing out a month ago, occasional high fevers with chills - but tests, scans, and grams all revealed nothing.
And then the other morning - on Tomris's birthday he couldn't get up. He was at my brother's house, called my brother for help, my brother came down and wasn't responding to his voice. He was brought to the hospital by ambulance. His temperature was 103 degrees. He is still in the hospital getting loads of antibiotics and tests. He has a heart infection again, he may need heart surgery to clean it out around the heart valve that was replaced 8 years ago. He has a fractured shoulder and pneumonia. But they still aren't so sure about everything that's going on - so the tests aren't finished.
He is dreading surgery - it is devastating on the body, especially with his age, and the ever threatening risk of infection has him afraid. He didn't say he was afraid - but it is fear to me, and understandable.
I spoke to my mom on FaceTime that day. My mom, in true fashion, couldn't really talk to me but rather showed me the room, held the phone for me to listen in on the doctor's comments as well as help give medical history. She showed me those who had come from "Love Twin Cities" effort to worship and pray, she showed me the 99 year old sick woman in the room next door.
My mom doesn't really know how to handle these things, and so I just went around the hospital at her hand - as she showed me everything she saw. The patronizing nurses who talked to him like he was a small child (or elderly dementia patient). The efficient doctor. The Love Twin Cities team that seemed to smile too big. The slightly neurotic leader of the group that made up a song on the spot and sang it to me:
Rachel rachel rachel Rayyyy-chal.
Come to the hospital Rayy-chel
Come and join us Rayyyy-chel
Oh, you're in Turkey, that's just around the cornnnnner.
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