ChuckBalsamo.com

Happy Monday!

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

It’s 4:30am EST as I write this message. I’m sitting beside my father in law right now. If you read the blogs from last week, you know about his current condition. Emily just went to bed while I take this morning watch. I’ve been praying for him on and off throughout the night and now with great passion. Yesterday was a difficult day for him. This morning, he shows the evidence of our prayers and yours. Even though his body is ravaged, his spirit is soaring!

I showed him the magnetic plug for my macbook… he said, “That’s really neat isn’t it. You know there’s some really smart people in this world.”

I asked him if the morphine helps and he said, “Yea but it messes with your hearing a little… and it messes with your seeing too. Everything gets blurry.”

There was a long pause of silence and then he said, “I’m so glad Roger (one of his friends) accepted the Lord. Roger is a good man. He’s been my friend for sooo long. It’s for eternity. And how long is eternity?” Then, after he caught his breath, he continued, “I owe him some money and he won’t tell me how much… I don’t know how many times he’s cut my grass.”

I prayed for him with my hands crossed for about 30 minutes, so that he knew I was praying… and when I finished, he peaked out of his left eye and then with both eyes, and he turned to me and said, “The Lord is good Chuck… he’s so good… the Lord is sooo good to me.” He breathed a few more times and added, “I was thinking he might talk to me tonight… but he’s being quiet right now. Thats ok, I know he loves me. I can feel his love all the time.”

When I wheeled him to the bathroom and he asked to sit in his chair for a while to recapture his breath from the journey… I placed my left hand on his left shoulder… and he closed his eyes so reverently as he always does in times of prayer… and after I had prayed quietly for about a minute, he said to me, “I know you’re praying for me Chuck… I can feel your prayers… Thank you for praying for me.” Every few times I do this, he reaches around to put his hand on top of mine while I pray. I let go of his shoulder after about 30 seconds… because I know it hurts him to stretch around like that.

Yesterday, he told me how happy he was the get a visit from his old friend Claud. He said, “I gave a printed copy of the sinners prayer to Claude… and I asked him to take it home… and I asked him to say that prayer when he’s all alone… and mean it with all his heart… and the Lord will save him. I worked with him for 40 years… he’s been a good friend of mine.”

Merle never asks for anything, no matter how bad he needs it. Every 10 minutes or so, I have to ask him, “Merle-do you need something?” This morning he said, “Yeah Chuck; can you turn on the light?” I got up and turned it on as he requested… and he smiled and said to me, “I don’t like sitting in the dark when I’m awake.”

About 10 minutes later I asked if I could get him something… and he said, “I’d love to have that Kenneth Copeland magazine, you know-that one I had at the hospital? There’s a really good article in there about giving your cares to the Lord… and I would like to give a few cares to the Lord this morning.”

He coughed up something and spit it into his pink container… and I asked, “Do you want a paper towel?” He said, “Oh no, I’ve got one.” He stared at me and said, “I’m comin’ along!”

I just asked him, “What do you want me to tell the world today?” He thought for a minute and said, “Huh… what… oh, nothing yet.” lol

Then he went into deep thought… and held up his cup and asked, “What is this the apple juice?” I said yes and he smiled and replied, “Oh, ok… I couldn’t make up in my mind for a long time if it was the apple juice or the grape juice.”

I’m gonna go for now… and get back to praying for him… and for you. I hope you all feel the difference all day long! Have a happy Monday!