3-5-10 Spiritual Passion Unabated

Well, the other day Dad was wondering if the Bible really was true. I visited him on Thursday and got a different experience. On the side, on Tuesday dad had been quite agitated all day and said he knew i would come. Ooooo, now that puts a bit of pressure on! I better be listening to the Spirit. Thursday, when i entered Hoodview, Tanya said Dad was confused all day but not agitated like some days. I found Dad at his chair, alone in the TV room with the TV off. He had his bible open to the study section in the back and immediately handed it to me and asked for me to show him where we should look next. [Don't know what he had in mind there. He was presuming we were in the middle of something but i couldn't get him to identify what.] Others came in the room so we went into his room. He was wanting me to pray with him--it seemed like he thought we were at a prayer meeting or convention and he was carrying a great burden for all the family. He said between the two of us we has 25 kids to pray for! So we took turns prying for all his grandkids by family group. It was really quite precious. At one point he prayed all the g.kids would be "saved and sanctified," praying with great fervor. At other times he seemed to not understand where we were and wondered if i was staying for the night or would "head on back." [?] So, although he was lost in time and place, it was a very precious time with him, joining him in his life long passion of caring for the souls of his family. On Wednesday i attended a Chaplain's mini-retreat. It was booked as our monthly Joint Staff Meeting for all the Legacy chaplains from our 6 hospitals. Instead, the host chaplain had a treat for us, providing a time of reflection and sharing. They key question for reflection, after some warm up thoughts, related to how we were in that moment. I share that Dad seemed to be engaging in life review, a process often seen in hospice patients. One of the chaplains, a good friend, said she would email me a tale that resonated with her; she thought it might represent what Dad has been experiencing. I received this from her today. The Man in the Maze: A Native American Tale The man in the maze depicts a figure entering or exiting a maze (labyrinth). This represents a person's journey through life. The maze has many twist and turns, meant to represent the choices mad in life. The center is round and dark. This place represents a space in which the Great Creator leads each person, prior to his/her death. In this place, the person can work on reconciliation and resolution issues with others and/or with the Great Creator. AT the end of the person's time in that dark space, peace will reign in his/her life and he/she will then be blessed and helped by the Great Creator to pass into the next world. What are your thought about the Native American Tale in respect to Dad? To me, it reflects the introspection Dad is engaging in at this time. I don't think his life review process is to be worried over, but certainly tended to. Blessings to you all. Merv