Being A Trooper...

My wife is such a trooper!  Since she has been exhibiting many of the side effects of adjustment to the new medicine that she is on, she has been unable to climb up the stairs to our large walk-in shower or step up and over into the tub downstairs.  So, with that in mind, I had to devise a different method to wash her hair while in a seated position.  What I came up with was a large bowl and water tumbler.  This is where the trooper part comes in!  (Kind of like the way that the Cavalry riders would sit and ride on horseback for hours at a time while putting up with the various conditions of the trail without complaint)

She just sits there and lets me pour the warm water over her head, apply the shampoo and then rinse.  I’ve used this procedure a few times now and got it down enough so as to not soak her nor flood the bathroom anymore!  Things get a little complicated after the initial wash as I need to help her to change any wet clothes.  But through it all, she trusts me enough to manipulate her body so as to get the job completed and she is warm and cozy!  Then when all is finished, she rewards my efforts with a big smile to which I respond by laughing and shaking my head while thanking her for trusting me!

At this point I am not too sure that she would be as comfortable with anyone else doing the job.  One thing that I have learned is to be patient and go with the flow.  I try to stay sensitive to her body language and work gently, allowing her to do as much on her own as is possible for her at the time.  I’ve noticed that most others, who try to assist her when walking through a tight doorway or even in sitting down or getting up, want to do everything for her by applying brute strength to get the job done.  Not only is this dangerous for the helper but it makes Piper immediately tense up and get nervous (which in turn makes the task even harder to complete!).

I think that Piper demonstrates the way that our heavenly Father wants us to respond when He reaches out to help us.  I Peter 5:5-7 tells us that:

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
 That He may exult you in due time,
 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (NKJV)

It takes a humble attitude of the heart to trust someone enough to let them care for you.  On the other hand, it also takes a humble attitude to care for someone in a way that is best for the individual and not according to what is best for you.  Sometimes the helper needs to slow down and listen and watch for the unsaid needs of the one they are attempting to assist.  I learned a little lesson about that one time when I was helping my wife up and down the stairs.  I noticed that when I offered her my hand that I would take her outstretched arm and turn it around to fit the positioning of my hand.  She was not real comfortable with that position, but I was, and it slowed the whole process down.

Then as I thought about it for a moment, I decided that it was best for me to change my position in order to facilitate her comfort while still affording the same level of support.  That may seem like an insignificant gesture, but it tended to make a big difference for her as she is more willing to take my offering of assistance and physical support.

As I sang during the Praise and Worship service yesterday the words I was uttering rang true to today’s subject.  “I’m running to Your arms, the riches of Your love will always be enough, and nothing compares to Your embrace!”  I want to be humble enough to allow the Lord total freedom and access to me and my life.  I also am confident enough in Him that I know that He won’t impose himself on me, but is there to lift me up in ways that will only benefit my personal well-being.   I want to be a trooper for Him just like my wife is such a trooper when I try to assist her.  As she knows that I won’t knowingly hurt her, I know that our heavenly Father would never do anything to hurt me.

Take this thought with you as you face this new week.  Be at peace because you have firsthand experience that the riches of His love are always enough and that nothing in this world can come close to comparing to his embrace!  I love to see the reassuring look of trust that radiates from my wife’s eyes as I assist her, and more importantly, I love to see and feel the trust that I see in my heavenly Father as I allow Him to care for me.  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”