We are all really so much the same. We all have trials and tribulations. We all have moments of pure joy and happiness. That is what I think I had hoped to share in yesterday’s post, “Answers to My Prayers”. I believe that it is so good to share our stories and learn from one another. And I wanted to talk about how God truly works in our lives. A good friend of mine, and a true “angel”, shared her story in response to my post yesterday, in a personal email. I asked her if I might share it with you. It is another example of tremendous strength that God provides, just when we think we’re running on empty!

Sue, I so know how you feel. I was about 40 years younger and was able to “grow” into the job.  I want to help you, encourage you, let you know you are NOT a martyr. You’re only doing what comes naturally (doing it all on your own) and up until recently this mind set has always worked for you. Admitting that it is hard; letting go, is even harder.

Richard and I could never sit together. If you can imagine 30 years of never being able to snuggle on a couch to watch TV, smooch, etc. Well, one Christmas night we were alone watching some special on TV, and I got this bright idea to transfer him on to the couch (no easy task) and that could be our Christmas gift – to sit together.  Richard was apprehensive. After all, it was HIS body we were going to have to manipulate into doing things it wasn’t used to doing.  But we did it! I was sweaty. Richard was exhausted. But there we were. It was heaven!

We tried to live in the moment, trying to forget about how in the heck were we ever going to get him back into that chair? It worked for a couple of hours, but then the inevitable. We HAD to get him off of that couch. Richard only weighed about 178 pounds, but he might as well have weighed 500 pounds. It must have taken 20 minutes. I remember crying, silently cursing myself for this stupid idea!
It sickened me to see the stress I had placed on Richard; making him feel more disabled than ever — the frustration I knew he was feeling!

I was one minute from calling the fire department for help, but God gave me one more burst of strength that I swear was not there seconds before, and – - the Eagle Landed! We were so proud of ourselves! We did it! We never attempted it again, but those two hours were something we never forgot and we were grateful for the hard earned gift we were given.

The long and short, Sue, is that none of this is easy. We do the best we can.  I too was blessed with a man who saw the glass half full and was always ready to try something if it meant living life fuller.

Please call some time if the frustration gets to you, or if you could use a tip or two, or if you need another set of hands. I’d like to be one of your “angels”. God knows I’ve been given many during my life.

Love and Blessings, Marina