Good Afternoon, Ladies!
I was searching for an article that I wrote on another group many years ago, and, in the process ran across this post from my mother who passed away in June of 2005. The post was originally written and posted on December 8, 2002, in response to a woman named Joan. I don't know if there is something in here that will help someone or not, but I felt strongly compelled to repost it. At the very least, it will give some of you who didn't know my mother a glimpse into what kind of person she was. I hope you all don't mind me sharing this.
HI JOAN, MY NAME IS MARGE, I AM REBECCA'S MOM. NUMBER ONE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT AS GOOD AS REBECCA IN COUNSELLING OTHERS. I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT I FEEL GOD HAS LAID ON MY HEART TO HELP ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
NUMBER ONE: I LOVE TO TEACH THE BIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE OLD TESTAMENT.
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE BECAUSE I DO READ AND STUDY IT, BUT
EVEN WITH THAT BACKGROUND THERE ARE A LOT OF TIMES THAT I HAVE TO GO
TO A CONCORDANCE....I USE STRONG'S CONCORDANCE. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA
OF THE SCRIPTURE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, OR KNOW A FEW WORDS OF IT, OR
IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR SCRIPTURE ON A SPECIFIC SUBJECT, THIS BOOK
COVERS EVERY WORD IN THE KJV OF THE BIBLE, AND EVERY REFERENCE TO
THOSE WORDS. THAT WAS A LONG WAY OF SAYING......YES, THE MORE YOU
READ AND STUDY GOD'S WORD (ALWAYS ASKING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
GUIDANCE AS YOU DO) THE MORE OFTEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN REMIND YOU OF
GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE.
NUMBER TWO: CHRIST TELLS US IN MATTHEW 6:14,15 THAT WE MUST FORGIVE
THOSE WHO HAVE OFFENDED US SO THAT GOD CAN FORGIVE US OUR OFFENSES
TOWARD HIM. NOTE: AS HUMAN BEINGS THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN
OUR OWN POWER. WE CAN ONLY DO THIS BY PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO
DISPITEFULLY USE US, AND BY ASKING GOD TO GIVE US HIS GRACE TO
ACCOMPLISH IT.
AND NUMBER THREE: PLEASE DO NOT FEEL THAT YOU ARE ALONE IN YOUR
SITUATION WITH YOUR MOTHER AND SIBLINGS. WHEN REBECCA WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD WE TOOK MY HUSBAND'S MOTHER AND STEP-DAD INTO OUR HOME. MOM WAS
BED FAST WITH ARTHRITIS, UNCLE JOHN WAS IN HIS EIGHTIES, AND VERY
FEEBLE. MY HUSBAND WAS THE YOUNGEST OF NINE CHILDREN, WITH FIVE OF
THE OTHERS LIVING CLOSE ENOUGH TO HELP OUT, BUT WOULDN'T. MY HUSBAND
QUIT HIS JOB AND STARTED A BUSINESS AT HOME SO HE COULD HELP WITH MY
FATHER-IN-LAW. I BECAME CARETAKER FOR TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE, ONE OF THEM
TOTALLY BEDFAST; MOTHER TO A SCHOOL AGE CHILD, PARTS RUNNER FOR MY
HUSBAND (AS WELL AS HIS BOOKKEEPER); WIFE; HOMEMAKER; SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHER; AND ON AND ON. OH, YES, AND FOR FOUR LONG YEARS MY HUSBAND
AND I NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE TOGETHER. I WENT TO CHURCH IN THE
MORNINGS,AND TOOK A CAR LOAD OF KIDS.....HE WENT IN THE EVENINGS, AND
TOOK A CAR LOAD OF KIDS. AS FOR VISITING OTHER FAMILY TOGETHER IT
JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN. YOU KNOW WHAT.....IT WAS ONLY THRU GOD'S GRACE
THAT WE DID IT ALL.....AND MOST IMPORTANT STAYED A FAMILY IN THE
PROCESS. AND DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER
AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAD THE COMFORT, WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER AND MOM AND
UNCLE JOHN WERE BOTH GONE, IN KNOWING THAT WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING WE
KNEW AND COULD DO AT THE TIME. SOME OF THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
SUFFERED SO MUCH GUILT AFTERWARDS THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED TO BE
IN THEIR PLACE FOR ANYTHING.......AND AS FOR THE REST I DON'T KNOW
THAT THEY EVER CARED THAT THEY HADN'T DONE ANYTHING. BUT I STILL CAN
PRAY FOR THEM AND ASK GOD TO SAVE THEIR SOULS AND BRING THEM HEALING
TO THEIR SPIRITS. WHEN THIS WAS ALL GOING ON WE WERE TOLD THAT IT IS
USUALLY THE OLDEST OR THE YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY THAT SHOULDERS AND
CARRIES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARING FOR THE PARENTS IN THE FAMILY.
I GUESS WHAT I WANT MOST TO SAY TO YOU IS TO 'COUNT IT ALL JOY' TO DO
WHAT YOU CAN FOR YOUR MOM......WORK AT FORGIVING YOUR SISTER AND HER
HUSBAND, BECAUSE IF YOU ASK AND REMAIN FAITHFUL IN YOUR DETERMINATION
TO DO SO, GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE GRACE TO DO SO. AND MOST OF ALL DO
NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED. WALKING WITH GOD IS JUST LIKE A BABY LEARNING
TO WALK, TAKE A STEP, FALL DOWN, CRAWL A BIT, GET UP, TAKE A FEW MORE
STEPS, FALL DOWN, CRAWL A LITTLE LESS, GET UP.......ALL THE TIME
GETTING STRONGER, MORE STABLE, QUICKER TO GET UP....IT ALL COMES WITH
TIME AND PRACTICE. STAY IN THE WORD, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH GOD, CALL FOR
HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT......WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE (AND ARE STILL IN
THE MIDDLE OF IT) SO KEEP LOOKING UP, GOD CARES, AND SO DO WE. MARGE
NUMBER ONE: I LOVE TO TEACH THE BIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE OLD TESTAMENT.
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE BECAUSE I DO READ AND STUDY IT, BUT
EVEN WITH THAT BACKGROUND THERE ARE A LOT OF TIMES THAT I HAVE TO GO
TO A CONCORDANCE....I USE STRONG'S CONCORDANCE. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA
OF THE SCRIPTURE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, OR KNOW A FEW WORDS OF IT, OR
IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR SCRIPTURE ON A SPECIFIC SUBJECT, THIS BOOK
COVERS EVERY WORD IN THE KJV OF THE BIBLE, AND EVERY REFERENCE TO
THOSE WORDS. THAT WAS A LONG WAY OF SAYING......YES, THE MORE YOU
READ AND STUDY GOD'S WORD (ALWAYS ASKING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
GUIDANCE AS YOU DO) THE MORE OFTEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN REMIND YOU OF
GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE.
NUMBER TWO: CHRIST TELLS US IN MATTHEW 6:14,15 THAT WE MUST FORGIVE
THOSE WHO HAVE OFFENDED US SO THAT GOD CAN FORGIVE US OUR OFFENSES
TOWARD HIM. NOTE: AS HUMAN BEINGS THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN
OUR OWN POWER. WE CAN ONLY DO THIS BY PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO
DISPITEFULLY USE US, AND BY ASKING GOD TO GIVE US HIS GRACE TO
ACCOMPLISH IT.
AND NUMBER THREE: PLEASE DO NOT FEEL THAT YOU ARE ALONE IN YOUR
SITUATION WITH YOUR MOTHER AND SIBLINGS. WHEN REBECCA WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD WE TOOK MY HUSBAND'S MOTHER AND STEP-DAD INTO OUR HOME. MOM WAS
BED FAST WITH ARTHRITIS, UNCLE JOHN WAS IN HIS EIGHTIES, AND VERY
FEEBLE. MY HUSBAND WAS THE YOUNGEST OF NINE CHILDREN, WITH FIVE OF
THE OTHERS LIVING CLOSE ENOUGH TO HELP OUT, BUT WOULDN'T. MY HUSBAND
QUIT HIS JOB AND STARTED A BUSINESS AT HOME SO HE COULD HELP WITH MY
FATHER-IN-LAW. I BECAME CARETAKER FOR TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE, ONE OF THEM
TOTALLY BEDFAST; MOTHER TO A SCHOOL AGE CHILD, PARTS RUNNER FOR MY
HUSBAND (AS WELL AS HIS BOOKKEEPER); WIFE; HOMEMAKER; SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHER; AND ON AND ON. OH, YES, AND FOR FOUR LONG YEARS MY HUSBAND
AND I NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE TOGETHER. I WENT TO CHURCH IN THE
MORNINGS,AND TOOK A CAR LOAD OF KIDS.....HE WENT IN THE EVENINGS, AND
TOOK A CAR LOAD OF KIDS. AS FOR VISITING OTHER FAMILY TOGETHER IT
JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN. YOU KNOW WHAT.....IT WAS ONLY THRU GOD'S GRACE
THAT WE DID IT ALL.....AND MOST IMPORTANT STAYED A FAMILY IN THE
PROCESS. AND DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER
AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAD THE COMFORT, WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER AND MOM AND
UNCLE JOHN WERE BOTH GONE, IN KNOWING THAT WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING WE
KNEW AND COULD DO AT THE TIME. SOME OF THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
SUFFERED SO MUCH GUILT AFTERWARDS THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED TO BE
IN THEIR PLACE FOR ANYTHING.......AND AS FOR THE REST I DON'T KNOW
THAT THEY EVER CARED THAT THEY HADN'T DONE ANYTHING. BUT I STILL CAN
PRAY FOR THEM AND ASK GOD TO SAVE THEIR SOULS AND BRING THEM HEALING
TO THEIR SPIRITS. WHEN THIS WAS ALL GOING ON WE WERE TOLD THAT IT IS
USUALLY THE OLDEST OR THE YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY THAT SHOULDERS AND
CARRIES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARING FOR THE PARENTS IN THE FAMILY.
I GUESS WHAT I WANT MOST TO SAY TO YOU IS TO 'COUNT IT ALL JOY' TO DO
WHAT YOU CAN FOR YOUR MOM......WORK AT FORGIVING YOUR SISTER AND HER
HUSBAND, BECAUSE IF YOU ASK AND REMAIN FAITHFUL IN YOUR DETERMINATION
TO DO SO, GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE GRACE TO DO SO. AND MOST OF ALL DO
NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED. WALKING WITH GOD IS JUST LIKE A BABY LEARNING
TO WALK, TAKE A STEP, FALL DOWN, CRAWL A BIT, GET UP, TAKE A FEW MORE
STEPS, FALL DOWN, CRAWL A LITTLE LESS, GET UP.......ALL THE TIME
GETTING STRONGER, MORE STABLE, QUICKER TO GET UP....IT ALL COMES WITH
TIME AND PRACTICE. STAY IN THE WORD, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH GOD, CALL FOR
HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT......WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE (AND ARE STILL IN
THE MIDDLE OF IT) SO KEEP LOOKING UP, GOD CARES, AND SO DO WE. MARGE
