Chrysostom
Beloved of All
We have heard your burden for your mother and we are bringing you and your family before the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer.
We grieve with you over all that your mother is enduring, the stroke and its aftermath, the late phase of Alzheimer, diabetes, depression and now inflammation requiring antibiotics. We pray that the Lord in His mercy will bring healing according to His will, that He will guide the hands of the doctors and nurses, that the antibiotics will be effective and that her body will be strengthened. We ask God to give wisdom to those caring for her regarding sleep and medication, that they would give what truly helps her to rest without taking away her ability to speak and to be present, and that they would treat her with dignity and gentleness.
We understand your distress at seeing her hand bound to the bed and your fear that sedation and restraint will make her condition worse. It is right to care for her safety after a stroke, and it is also right to want her to be able to move and speak as she is able. We encourage you to speak calmly and clearly with the medical staff, to ask them to explain why the restraint is needed, how long it will be needed, what alternatives exist to keep her safe from falling, and how they assess her ability to walk and to communicate. Ask also about a plan for gentle rehabilitation and for regular evaluation, so that she is not left without movement longer than necessary. The Lord sees her weakness and loves her, and He hears your advocacy for her.
We also lift up the painful tension with your brother. It is hard to depend on another for transportation and to feel that he is irritable and unwilling to be flexible, especially when you are grieving your father who died a year and a half ago and when you both face difficult decisions about a senior home. We pray that God will soften hearts on both sides, that He will give you both patience, humility and a spirit of peace, and that He will provide a place for your mother that is suitable and accessible. Family strife brings deep sorrow, but Christ calls us to pursue peace and to bear with one another in love. If your brother is unable to drive you as often as you need, consider also asking your church family, a pastor or trusted friends whether they can help with visits, so that you are not left alone in this burden and so that pressure is eased between you and your brother.
Remember that our hope is not in our own strength but in Christ who is near to the brokenhearted. He knows the conflict you are enduring and He promises to be with those who suffer and to reward those who persevere in faith and love. Continue to cast your cares on Him, to pray, to read the Scriptures and to seek counsel from faithful believers near you.
Let us pray together:
Lord Jesus Christ, our Great Physician and our Peace, we bring this mother before You. You know her body and her soul. Touch her with Your healing hand, ease her inflammation, restore her strength as You will, give her peaceful sleep and clear mind, and surround her with compassionate caregivers. Give wisdom to the doctors and nurses to treat her rightly. Comfort her daughter who watches and worries, take away her fear and anger and fill her with Your peace that passes understanding. Work in the heart of her brother, grant him gentleness and understanding, and help this family to speak to one another with grace. Provide a safe and caring home for this mother where she will be well looked after, and provide the means to visit her. Sustain this family in their grief for their father and husband, and keep them in Your mercy. We ask this in Your holy and merciful name, trusting in Your love and Your will. Amen.
We grieve with you over all that your mother is enduring, the stroke and its aftermath, the late phase of Alzheimer, diabetes, depression and now inflammation requiring antibiotics. We pray that the Lord in His mercy will bring healing according to His will, that He will guide the hands of the doctors and nurses, that the antibiotics will be effective and that her body will be strengthened. We ask God to give wisdom to those caring for her regarding sleep and medication, that they would give what truly helps her to rest without taking away her ability to speak and to be present, and that they would treat her with dignity and gentleness.
We understand your distress at seeing her hand bound to the bed and your fear that sedation and restraint will make her condition worse. It is right to care for her safety after a stroke, and it is also right to want her to be able to move and speak as she is able. We encourage you to speak calmly and clearly with the medical staff, to ask them to explain why the restraint is needed, how long it will be needed, what alternatives exist to keep her safe from falling, and how they assess her ability to walk and to communicate. Ask also about a plan for gentle rehabilitation and for regular evaluation, so that she is not left without movement longer than necessary. The Lord sees her weakness and loves her, and He hears your advocacy for her.
We also lift up the painful tension with your brother. It is hard to depend on another for transportation and to feel that he is irritable and unwilling to be flexible, especially when you are grieving your father who died a year and a half ago and when you both face difficult decisions about a senior home. We pray that God will soften hearts on both sides, that He will give you both patience, humility and a spirit of peace, and that He will provide a place for your mother that is suitable and accessible. Family strife brings deep sorrow, but Christ calls us to pursue peace and to bear with one another in love. If your brother is unable to drive you as often as you need, consider also asking your church family, a pastor or trusted friends whether they can help with visits, so that you are not left alone in this burden and so that pressure is eased between you and your brother.
Remember that our hope is not in our own strength but in Christ who is near to the brokenhearted. He knows the conflict you are enduring and He promises to be with those who suffer and to reward those who persevere in faith and love. Continue to cast your cares on Him, to pray, to read the Scriptures and to seek counsel from faithful believers near you.
Let us pray together:
Lord Jesus Christ, our Great Physician and our Peace, we bring this mother before You. You know her body and her soul. Touch her with Your healing hand, ease her inflammation, restore her strength as You will, give her peaceful sleep and clear mind, and surround her with compassionate caregivers. Give wisdom to the doctors and nurses to treat her rightly. Comfort her daughter who watches and worries, take away her fear and anger and fill her with Your peace that passes understanding. Work in the heart of her brother, grant him gentleness and understanding, and help this family to speak to one another with grace. Provide a safe and caring home for this mother where she will be well looked after, and provide the means to visit her. Sustain this family in their grief for their father and husband, and keep them in Your mercy. We ask this in Your holy and merciful name, trusting in Your love and Your will. Amen.
