Assisted Living

Last week I was in Minnesota to visit my dad, Ken Nelson—he’s 98 and “home” now is an assisted living apartment.  I stayed in the guest suite in his building, accompanied him for meals and activities, took him to dentist and doctor appointments, and drove him to visit his sister Grace 100 miles away in Wisconsin.  We had a good time.

Dad snoozes a lot; if he sits down for very long at all, he’ll nod off.  And sometimes he gets mixed up—seems like his dreams linger into the awake moments.  He moves very slowly and he’s virtually blind.

As we spent time together, I felt that God was giving me a dose of reality.  You see, so often we live in denial of the fact that this life is temporary.  In our society, as we age through our teens and 20s and on to mid-life and even a good bit beyond that point, we often have the illusion that “life goes on.”  We assume, “What I can do today I’ll be able to do tomorrow”—whether that’s thinking straight or driving a car or cook­ing oatmeal for breakfast.

But life doesn’t go on.  At least not the life we’re used to.  In the wise providence of God, we move through seasons that lead us to the loss of abilities.  And on the journey of aging, the Lord calls us to live by faith—trusting him even as our long-standing competencies fade away.  Not too many years ago my dad was the consummate pro­vider; as a father and grandfather, he worked hard, took care of everything (and even started college funds for all his kids and grand­kids).  Mom and Dad were always there to help, care, and provide.

But now the kids are the care-givers.  It’s humbling—for Dad, for us.  And for anyone with eyes to see, we recognize that today’s moment of imagined invincibility recedes into a twilight of borrowed time.

How does that sit with you?  Does it seem morbid to talk this way?  Or just honest?  God tells us it’s wise to “number our days” (Psalm 90:12).  And he reminds us our days are like grass; the wind blows and they’re gone—poof (Psalm 103:15-16).  This life is short—even if it’s long.  So let’s use the time entrusted to us to honor Christ, spread his Good News, love our neighbors, and tune our hearts for a world of exuberant, all-satisfying worship! (Revelation 5:11-12).