Guilt is a thing every parent knows very well.  Guilt that you are not able to parent fully and perfectly. Guilt when you realize you just didn’t have the knowledge to parent effectively in a particular situation.  Guilt when you have to work away from the home to be able to care for your family.  Guilt when you take care of yourself.

There is also guilt when you care for a stroke patient.  It is much like the balancing act of a parent and the guilt comes in waves.   Life as you knew it ceases, while life as it must be marches forward.  You must care for the stroke patient, but you must also maintain the care of your family and work.  You make mistakes.  You learn to be strong in ways you never imagined, and yet you feel as though you cannot do enough.  You continue your daily routine as much as possible, and cheat everyone to make it all work.  You get so caught up in everything you have to do that you forget to pray.  And at times, you must temporarily do what feels like turning your back on the stroke patient to be able to build your reserves back up to fight for another day.

Perhaps our family is not like other families…..perhaps we are very much the same.  We are rattled to our core….BUT….. we are maintaining our daily routines as best we can.  We communicate well with one another, but do not need minute-by-minute reassurance to know our matriarch is doing OK.    Harold is Arla’s rock as he is with her almost everyday.  And the children are playing the role of the foundation.  We make phone calls and contacts concerning medical questions.  We solve problems and maintain blogs.  And all the while we do what we normally do.  It is the role we have been given, and yet, it makes us feel guilty that we cannot be at our mother’s side more often than we are.

Continue to pray that this lethargy that has come over Arla will be lifted.  Pray that God would continue to work in and through Arla for His glory.  Lift up all those who are suffering and need rest or peace.  Pray for those who do not know the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Pray for anyone who has guilt on their heart that they may know that all our efforts are pleasing to God.  And thank God that we live in a country where we can worship as we choose!