We had a family meeting yesterday to discuss plans for his surgery and recovery period, and we invited Dad to express his concerns. This is a very dangerous surgery, and the recovery will be long and arduous, but Dad is facing it with quiet determination. His only fear is what will become of Mom if he should pass away. They live mainly off his Social Security checks, and he's worried about how she'd survive on her own. When we assured him that we will always take care of Mom's needs, tears filled his eyes.
My brother Rick reached out to pat his knee and said he knew Dad was making the right decision, and that he was confident Dad would come through the surgery safely. Emily's husband Paul reminded him of how he'd surprised the doctors with his quick recovery after his recent gallbladder surgery. I told him he was a tough old bird, and he'd be fine.
We wrapped up our talk with multiple servings of Mom's irresistible homemade ice cream topped with the richest hot fudge imaginable--my Aunt Carol's recipe.
Saying goodbye was difficult because I won't see Dad again until he's admitted to the hospital. I'd planned to visit today, but Ethan had apparently contracted the flu, and I knew he'd be home from school.
Allyson and I have missed our visits recently. Mom and Dad have been busy with doctors' appointments, and I've been busy with... everything. Now it will be a couple of months before we can resume our weekly lunches.Anyway, we exchanged hugs all around, squeezing perhaps a little more tightly than usual. We'll all be together again on Thursday, probably for many hours.
In the coming weeks, please pray for Dad whenever God lays him on your heart. Pray for his health and his peace. Pray for our family to be able to give him and Mom the support they will need. And pray that God will protect Mom when she's making the 50-mile round trip to the hospital each day; she will likely be exhausted, and the Dallas traffic is intimidating for her.
If you wish, you can follow my dad's progress here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/richarddunlap
Thank you!
Sarah Louise
4 comments:
Oh Sarah - you poor thing. I couldn't sleep for some reason tonight and now I know why - to pray for your dad.
Hang in there and let me know if there is anything you need - emotion, physical, or otherwise.
From Aunt Carol:
Thanks for all your prayers for Richard and Dolores. They are much in my thoughts and prayers and I know all our hearts are filled with love for them....
I want to share with all of you a prayer that I recently read in a Christian novel and I put in the names of Richard and Dolores.... It has really spoken to my heart.
"Father, you know the love for Richard and Dolores... that abides in the hearts of our families."
"Help us to remember that they are your children, that you love them more than we can imagine. Lord we pray with faith in that love, with total trust in the goodness and the wisdom of that love."
"We understand that it is your right to heal or not to heal, Father. But often, when you don't heal, we either doubt the quality of our faith or the reality of your mercy. Remind us of the truth, that your sovereign will does not depend upon our faith, nor can your mercy ever be understood by our finite minds. Our part is to trust your mercy and acknowledge your right to fulfill your purposes in your own way and in your own time. Surely we can trust the mercy and the love of a Lord who would die for us. Surely we can trust the Lord of the Cross."
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Best wishes to your father for a speedy recovery and for the peace that comes only from God. And I pray that you and the rest of your family will find comfort and courage in the days ahead.
God is good... all the time...
I'll be praying Sarah!
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