Mom’s relationship to God has always been a very close one. Until it became too confusing for her to read, she dedicated a part of each day to Bible study and reading devotionals. She still loves to listen to someone read the Bible to her and I am always amazed at how much scripture she has hidden in her heart. We are so blessed to have caregivers who cherish God’s word and will read devotionals and sing hymns with her.
This week has been difficult. At the beginning of the week, she had a stomach bug that wore us all out as we made trip after trip to the bathroom. As a caregiver, it is so hard not to be able to make her feel better. Just as parents would easily take their children’s pain on themselves, caregivers develop the same empathy for their patient. Finally we were able to some medicine to settle down her stomach pain, but that same medicine made her more disconnected than usual from this world. She has talked and talked, mostly using coherent words but with incoherent thoughts. Much of the time, I don’t think she’s trying to communicate with us, however. She’s talking to God and I know He understands every word.
Mom’s prayers are as easy as breathing. She speaks so humbly to God, asking Him for whatever she needs. Sometimes her prayers let us know how far she is from her current situation. She’ll pray for her children as they are away at school or for Dwight, my dad, as he goes to work at the base, for instance. I love to listen to her pray although at times it will go on for hours and my mind wanders.
My favorite part is her earnestness. She will entreat Him and then follow up immediately with “if it be Your will.” Sometimes her audible voice will trail off and I will watch her lips continue to move. She always pronounces clearly, “in the name of Jesus, I ask this.” Recently, she has just continued to pray without an “amen.” She’ll pray until she says, “in Jesus’ name,” and then keep on praying. Five or ten minutes later, she’ll say, “In Your Son, Jesus’ name,” and keep right on going with her prayer.
There’s not a single bit of arrogance or attitude in Mom’s prayers. She’s just talking to a dear Friend and it’s as honest and straightforward as can be. I long for that sort of prayer life. Her prayers are without ceasing, just the sort of thing Paul exhorts in I Thessalonians 5:17:
Pray without ceasing.
“Adialeiptos” is the Greek word translated “without ceasing.” It actually means “constantly recurring.” Mom is in a constant recurring stage of prayer. Although she may doze off for a bit, she returns to supplication, especially if she wakes up afraid or bewildered. While much of our culture uses the Lord’s name often as an expletive, Mom’s call of “O God” or “Dear Lord” is a sincere calling to Him, usually followed by a “help me.”
I’ve always struggle with the idea of “without ceasing,” but recently I read an article by Dr. Barry C. Black that helped define the idea further for me. When he fell in love with his wife, the romantic experience helped him develop a better understanding of this verse. “I knew intuitively that it’s possible to love without ceasing, for the presence of one’s beloved engenders recurring adoration…So, adoration for God can enable you to be continuously aware of His presence, creating a desire to punctuate your days, hours, and minutes with the communion and fellowship of prayer. The adoration can transform sporadic and stammering prayers into a constant and characteristic attitude of reverence and dependence on a higher power.”
That’s Mom’s “secret.” She adores God and has a loving relationship that is full of decades of reverence and dependence on Him.
