Yesterday my wife and I ventured southeast to Raleigh, the capital
city of North Carolina. Our
trip was not strictly for sightseeing but to meet with a lawyer so that I could
obtain legal guardianship over my wife in order to conduct business in her
name. It is actually something I should
have done years before, but to be honest, always put aside because I did not
want to admit to the reality of the situation.
If I had done it in 2012 when I originally obtained the necessary
paperwork from our doctor, I could have simply gone the route of getting Power
of Attorney. But now that Piper isn’t
able to adequately communicate, the more comprehensive guardianship process is
required.
I didn’t realize that the proceedure is much more complicated
than signing a few papers, but entails a visit to the court in order to prove
incompetence and the need for a legal guardian.
But it is time to complete the process and proceed we will! It seems that North Carolina is much stricter
in attaining some of the benefits offered to the handicapped than I found
California to be.
I was pleasantly surprised when we came into the city limits
of Raleigh. Even though we did not go to
the downtown area, but stayed in the northern section of the city, I still
expected an experience closer to the San Francisco, big city feel than what we
encountered. Then again, one must
remember that San Francisco is built on hills, has a population that is twice
as large as Raleigh and is situated in a space that is close to one third as
big as the approximately 144 square miles that incorporates the southern
capital! From what we saw, Raleigh is a
charming city. My mental picture of a
multi-story high-rise and being greeted by Julianna Margulies of The Good Wife
fame were quickly dashed as the Attorney's office was housed in a wonderful old
brick two story home that would be at home in a Revolutionary War movie!
Our attorney is a wonderful young lady that made us
immediately feel at home as she explained all the nuances of the process we
were about to enter in to. With great sensitivity
she also talked of the parts of the process that many of her past clients have felt
difficult to face concerning the declaring of incompetence. I greatly appreciated her understanding and
the concern and compassion she expressed to us.
As I mentioned previously, by this time in our journey, I
have fought the emotional war of those facts, but am also strengthen by the truth and love of God’s
Word that we are standing on in the face of all the natural steps we feel
necessary to take. In many respects I
stand at awe at those who daily face this disease without the companionship of
the Lord at their sides. They must be
very strong individuals to progress through the physical steps of the illness
and handle all the turmoil that is incumbent to such a battle. Then again, I also can clearly see the pain
and utter hopelessness that surrounds them as I read the various Message Boards
I occasionally look at on the Alzheimer’s Association’s national website.
Galatians 5:14 in The Message Bible bests summarizes the solution
to the hurt and hopelessness that many in this world face every morning when
they arise. It says, “For everything we know about God’s word is
summed up in a single sentence: love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.”
Freedom for what you may ask? Freedom from the hopelessness that one regularly
faces in the various situations in their lives.
Like I have repeatedly expressed in this blog, the depth and span of God’s
love is the greatest asset I have learned to trust and hold on to throughout
this life changing event that we are in the midst of. The only thing that matters is His love for you
and me! In the last few years we have
been through events, emotions and persecutions that one normally only sees in
the movies! But through it all, the ONE
thing that has sustained us is the increasing knowledge of the love of Christ “which goes far beyond any knowledge,” (Ephesians
3:19 God’s Word ©) as Paul
talked about in Ephesians 3:19.
Our dependence on His love opens the way for those
situations to be “filled with God”
through the spiritual and physical blessing He places along the way… like the Divine connection with our attorney
in Raleigh. I have come to see that
God’s love is very flexible, unlimited and operable in all kinds of situations,
beliefs and personal experiences, but in another respect, this love is also
very black and white. It is the ONLY alternative
that is acceptable for us to follow. I
cannot find a single place in the Word where Jesus ever told us that are
certain times or situations or even in the midst of persecutions that we can
justify as an excuse to NOT respond in love!
His love is the answer!
It is His way, and as far as I can see… it is the only way for you and me!
Have a great day. Stay in tune to
His Word and asking yourself… “What or
Whom am I expecting today?”
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