Repeal and Replace

Yesterday was an interesting day.  It seemed like we had visitors almost all day!  It began about eleven when the hospice aid came by to help Piper with some personal items.  After that we had scheduled for the volunteer coordinator from the hospice group to come by in the early afternoon to discuss her volunteers and how they might be able to assist us.  But before she came I received a call from one of the agency’s nurses asking if she could come by and check on Piper that afternoon.

So I figured what the heck!  Let’s get it all done in one day.  Before she arrived though, we had another set of visitors.  Fiver spotted a red Nissan pulling up in the driveway and began wagging his tail vigorously.  When I peeked out at the car, I thought I recognized the occupants which happened to be the parents of the gentleman that we sold the Buick to (they had driven Russell here so he could drive the car home earlier in the week and we had a nice conversation).  

They were so happy and blessed by our car that they brought Piper and I a homemade lemon loaf as a thank you!  I have to admit… I’d never experienced that before… have any of you?  What a blessing for us!  I think that this was just another confirmation that this whole transaction was set up by the Lord… What do you think?

After they left the nurse drove up followed a few moments later by the volunteer coordinator.  So far everyone we have met from this agency have been wonderful and very sensitive and encouraging to Piper and I.  I did admit to them that I was a little bit overwhelmed at all the resources and available help and that I would need some time to sort through everything and figure out where they can best assist us in this journey.  After all, I’ve been doing this by myself for the last six years and am very protective of Piper and very particular of whom I allow to work with her.

New days, new resources, new helpers, new schedules and new decisions… I guess it is all part of the lives we live!  All of us are faced with new things throughout our lifetimes.  Some of us deal better with potential changes than others, but at some point we are all forced to make decisions concerning which way we want or need to go as the new things come upon us.

The Lord showed me something that can relate to this dilemma in the middle of the early hours of the morning today.  Piper had a good night but for some reason I kept waking up almost every hour beginning around 1:00 and felt the need to check on her.  And every time I checked she was fine, although I did re-position her a couple of times.  Somewhere in between these up times I suddenly began to think about the phrase that has become synonymous with Donald Trump’s presidency.  The words “Repeal and Replace” kept popping up… but not in reference to Obamacare!  

As I rolled those two words around in my thoughts, I finally put the points together and realized that the Lord was telling me that I needed to “Repeal and Replace” the things that were wrong in my life.  That I needed to “Repeal” any allegiances that might still be connected to my old nature and “Replace” them with the truth of God and His Word!

I tell you… that thought continued to bounce around in me throughout the night and is still very vivid to me right now.  The reason that I am pretty sure that this whole line of thought was a divine inspiration was that He also gave me a scripture to back up His directions. Soon after hearing “Repeal and Replace” I thought of Romans 8:2 where Paul tells the church that “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (KJV)  That particular verse covers both parts of the equation as it tells us what to “Repeal” and what to “Replace” it with!

“Repeal” the old law of sin and death that used to direct us before we were saved and completely “Replace” it with the law of the Spirit of Life that should now be dominating every part of our lives!  Over the years and especially in our different dealings with a variety of folks that we’ve interacted with in our journey with Piper’s health, I have come to see that the “should be dominating every part of our lives” is a life-long process.

During this walk I have come face to face with areas in my own life that I needed to “Repeal and Replace” with the Spirit of life.  I have also seen this need in others as they were faced with a difficult situation that they had to suddenly deal with.  Once again… it’s all about change!  Just like my needing to change my life around and let others in to assist us right now!  

For us at this point it is more of an informed “one-step-at-a-time” issue and not a lot of totally new things being cast upon us like in the discovery days and months of Piper’s situation.  So for me it is all about staying focused and sensitive to the Spirit of life and the directions Papa God leads me with.  But it still takes an alertness, a willingness and a humble heart to “Repeal and Replace” the old with the new… Does that make sense?

That first bit of advice I received at the beginning of all this from an older gentleman who had lost his wife to Alzheimer’s concerning my need to lose any and all my pride still rings true today… many years and many tough situations later!  It is not about me, it is all about what is best for my loved one… but that doesn’t always come easy!  It really helps me to know that in every decision I am keeping my eyes on the Spirit of life and not on the old nature and the old law of sin and death… that I am “Repealing and Replacing” any of the old me allegiances with a new allegiance… to Papa God and His Word of truth which comes with His peace and His ultimate place of victory!

So… I encourage you this weekend…  every time you hear and or read the news reports of President Elect Trump’s plans to “Repeal and Replace” to think about those areas or allegiances in your own life that need to be “Repealed and Replaced” with “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”  This kind of change is a good thing for you and helps you to become more pliable for Him and more of a blessing to others… Who knows… you might just want to bake a cake for someone to surprise them with a special thank you gift… it worked for me (and tasted good too)!

Have a great weekend, and as you do, keep asking yourself... “What am I expecting to ‘Repeal and Replace’ in my life today?”