We gathered around her bed, watching her shallow breathing. \u00a0We waited. \u00a0Mother, 84 years old, \u00a0had awakened with blood pouring from her mouth. \u00a0My sister, her caregiver, was unsure. \u00a0Had she seizured and bitten her tongue; or was she hemorrhaging? \u00a0She called Hospice. \u00a0Then she made a series of phone calls to family members to let them know the latest in our 40 month saga as our mother slowly crawled toward death.<\/p>\n
As strange as it may seem, in the annals of my life, I will record those five days spent at the foot of mother’s bed with my feet propped on the railing, one of the most joyful times in my life. \u00a0Two daughters, a daughter-in-law, \u00a0three granddaughters, two great granddaughters and several children kept the vigil. \u00a0We slept little as our saintly mother labored to breath. \u00a0The shallow whisps of air would wane and then strengthen. \u00a0We laughed and cried.<\/p>\n
We ate junk food; then we laughed and cried. \u00a0We talked to distant relatives on the phone; and with them we laughed and cried. \u00a0We ate delicious meals catered from restaurants owned by grandchildren. \u00a0When the meals arrived, we received the embraces of the new arrivals; and we laughed and cried. \u00a0We threw together meals to keep us from eating one more chocolate Easter egg. \u00a0 Sharing our meals on tables piled with insurance forms and medical equipment, we laughed and cried.<\/p>\n
At 3AM, the children taking the early morning shift at her bedside, stiffled giggles of exhaustion. \u00a0Each one of us crawled in the bed with her for a moment, just to feel her breathe on our faces one last time. \u00a0Just to touch her again before she left us for her heavenly home. \u00a0While we cried often, it was a strange mixture of joyful remembering and pain of separation that brought the tears. \u00a0We knew her faith. \u00a0We rejoiced in her destination, not her departure.<\/p>\n
As Jesus and his disciples gathered for their last meal together, Jesus expresses joy. \u00a0How can that be? \u00a0Tomorrow he would face death, a terribly painful death of torture and shame. \u00a0Could joy really fill the room of thirteen men who had walked, listened, ate, laughed and cried together? \u00a0Oh, yes. \u00a0They laughed and they cried. \u00a0The imminent anguish the Lord faced was put aside for this last joyful meal together.<\/p>\n
Then Jesus prayed a long, stirring prayer. \u00a0Father, the time has come. \u00a0Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. <\/em><\/p>\n Confidence beyond the circumstances poured from the Lord, as he embraced with joy the future of the Church. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. <\/em><\/p>\n No misgivings filled this conversation with the Father. And this is eternal life; that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent.<\/em><\/p>\n Strength and boldness poured from his inner being, expressing a completion of the task for which he was sent. \u00a0Having finished the work you gave me to do. \u00a0I brought you glory on earth.<\/em><\/p>\n It was a prayer for the men who sat in the room; but it was also a prayer for you and for me. \u00a0I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching.<\/em><\/p>\n Jesus prayed for me. \u00a0That night, in the middle of this joyous meal, he remembered me. \u00a0He prayed that all believers would be one. \u00a0Jesus prayed that we would abide with him and join him in heaven.<\/p>\n The passover, seder, meal is a meal of remembered redemption and release. \u00a0At times I stumble. \u00a0I fail everyone from my Lord to the clerk in the grocery store I see only once a week. \u00a0But in humility and with confidence, I can return to the place of laughter and tears. \u00a0From there, I can emerge with new strength and endurance because Jesus prayed for me.<\/p>\n In what ways would you alter your life if you fully understood that Jesus’ prayer was for you? \u00a0 Would this make a difference in the way you relate to other about the Lord?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We gathered around her bed, watching her shallow breathing. \u00a0We waited. \u00a0Mother, 84 years old, \u00a0had awakened with blood pouring from her mouth. \u00a0My sister, her caregiver, was unsure. \u00a0Had she seizured and bitten her tongue; or was she hemorrhaging? \u00a0She called Hospice. \u00a0Then she made a series of phone calls to family members to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,40,10,38,12,41],"tags":[690,21,688,696,699,44,701,50,694,48,42,689,698,692,700],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-faith","category-inspirational","category-passion-week","category-religion","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-faith","tag-holy-week","tag-inspiration","tag-inspirtation","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-jesus-prayer","tag-maundy-thursday","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-passion-week","tag-religion","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\n