Complete Again

About four weeks ago my mother in law, mom Horton, fell on some ice while attempting to go to church. There didn't seem to be anything broken, but she has been in constant pain ever since. X-Rays have been inconclusive, but the pain has continued to be severe. For awhile she was completely bedfast. At 93 years of age, this is not a good thing.

Finally my lady, her daughter, determined that she needed to be with her mom. And she did. For the past three weeks she has been nurse, caregiver and friend. During that time I have learned how to use the phone for long distance calls, been extremely lonely and gotten a lot of work done for the church. When people ask how I have managed "baching" it, I tell them the bed is awfully big.

The folks at the church have been great, Josh has been home and the other "kids" have called to check on how things were going. I have survived quite well.

But today, a few hours ago, my life became complete again. Alice came home and we did the little things that make marriage so special. We made the bed, paid bills, ate together and just held each other. I was complete again.

The Scripture says, "a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh." Alice and I achieved that a long time ago and for over 50 years we have been perfecting the art of marriage; during mom Horton's hurt I have learned just how incomplete I am without my Alice.

When her mother needs Alice, I will gladly send her with my blessing - I love her enough to let her do what her heart tells her she needs to do. It is that love that I have for her and she for me that fills the void of emptiness when she is away.

I wonder if that might not be a little of how God feels when we go off to our distant countries.