Each day during the month of March we will be sharing a devotional from a booklet written by Steve Love. Steve is a member of Canton First and a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor. If you would like a complete PDF of this devotional, it can be downloaded here.
Day 21
Ruth 1:16-17 (New International Version)
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Ruth’s husband, brother-in-law, and her farther-in-law had all died. Ruth along with her sister-in-law Orpah and her mother-in-law Naomi sent out on a journey towards Judah. Naomi told her two daughter-in-laws that they should return to their father’s home. Naomi loved her daughter-in-laws and only wanted to do what was in their best inserts. At this in history in the coulter of the Mid-east the brother of the widow’s husband married her to provide for her. Because Naomi had no other sons for her daughters-in-law to married, she told them they should return to their father’s home. Orpah took Naomi advice and returned to her farther.
Ruth wanted to remain by Naomi. Ruth understood that Naomi life was going to be a harsh one and out love for her was not going to leave Naomi. Ruth declares, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth chooses to take upon herself the caregiver’s task out of love of Naomi. That is reason behind our families taking on their role as our caregivers. It is because of their love for us they gladly take upon themselves the task of helping us who have become a person with a brain injury.
I know my wife has been told by several well means people that she should just place me in a nursing home. She out of love tells them no, she will do everything she kind to provide for me at home. Some do not have that choose, their love one need around the clock trained nursing care. They would love to have their love one at home. Because of love for the person with a brain injury left them with no choice. The best thing of them is a nursing home. They just do not leave them and walk away. They are there for them, spending many hours with their love one. The family heart is broken; the desire to have them at home never goes away. God only know the tears that are shed for their love one that no longer sleeps in their rooms, set in their favored chair, or set down to a meal around the family table.
Years ago, when living in Wauneta, Nebraska I got to know a lady in the local Nursing Home. One day she was crying and wanted to talk with me. It was almost Mother’s Day and she had not seen her daughter and granddaughter for 5 years. She wants to see them but did not have much hope that this year would be any different. I did not know what to tell her. I did not know if her family would remember and come to see her this year. I spent time and just listen to her and then I prayed with you. Before leaving to go home I talked to the staff about this ladies’ family. I was told that her daughter and granddaughter lived just 3 blocks from the home. They told me that the daughter had told them she just did not have the time to come and see her mother.
I praise God that not everyone is like her. It hurts the family to have to put a love one in a nursing home. They would love to have them at home share the joys of home life with the family. I glad many because of their love my family has take upon themselves the tasks of doing everything in their power helping me to have a normal home life as part of the family. You the families/caregivers are the Ruth in our lives making a different in our lives. I want to thank you for all you are doing for all of us who have a brain injury at home and in nursing homes.
Pray and thank God for everyone in your family.
Pray and thank God for the Ruth’s in your life who is standing by at your side helping you to face life.
Pray and ask God to help the families who must put their loved ones in a nursing home. Ask God to be with them giving them strength they need for it hurts them to see their love ones there and not at home.