Precious Memories
By Belinda
It is hard to believe that two weeks have past already since our last night in Alvechurch, but one more precious memory lingers that I have to record.
I wrote in my post called The Gift of how Mum one night, suddenly answered my unspoken longing for her blessing in prayer by holding on to my hands and saying, "I must pray for you," and then how no words came, although she tried, but I knew that God knew her heart as well as she had known mine and how deeply moving that moment was because of her initiating it.
Mum had a stroke in 2003 that left her with aphasia. It has limited Mum's ability to speak, mainly because she has things to say but can't find the words. She can say simple routine things, but putting a more complex thought into words is impossible, even though the thought is there; we can see it. Mum takes it in stride and usually tries, then shrugs, shakes her head and smiles.
So you see, it was a big thing that she tried so hard to do something like pray out loud.
On two subsequent nights after we finished our prayers for friends and family, me sitting on the side of her bed, holding her soft hands in mine on the edge of her bed covers, she prayed for me again.
On the second night of the three, we said our "amen's" in unison at the end of my prayer, and then, still holding on to my hands, with an effort that took everything she had, small puffs of air escaped her lips, then, "Lord..large...love...my Belinda." I was stunned and humbled.
On the third night, as if I had not been blessed enough already, after we finished our prayer of gratitude, and blessings on others, Mum continued again; she was becoming fluent in prayer! She prayed: "And, for, my lovely little" (the next word would not come no matter how she tried, so I helped with "Belinda" and she repeated, "Belinda."
"Mum, thank you, your prayer means so much," I said, "I feel like a little baby again being rocked in your arms."
"Oh," she said, with eyes that beamed intense love, "You're much better than a little baby."
And again I was undone and carry with me still the blessing of those moments.
This song by one of Mum's favourite singers: Precious Memories by the late Jim Reeves.
It is hard to believe that two weeks have past already since our last night in Alvechurch, but one more precious memory lingers that I have to record.
I wrote in my post called The Gift of how Mum one night, suddenly answered my unspoken longing for her blessing in prayer by holding on to my hands and saying, "I must pray for you," and then how no words came, although she tried, but I knew that God knew her heart as well as she had known mine and how deeply moving that moment was because of her initiating it.
Mum had a stroke in 2003 that left her with aphasia. It has limited Mum's ability to speak, mainly because she has things to say but can't find the words. She can say simple routine things, but putting a more complex thought into words is impossible, even though the thought is there; we can see it. Mum takes it in stride and usually tries, then shrugs, shakes her head and smiles.
So you see, it was a big thing that she tried so hard to do something like pray out loud.
On two subsequent nights after we finished our prayers for friends and family, me sitting on the side of her bed, holding her soft hands in mine on the edge of her bed covers, she prayed for me again.
On the second night of the three, we said our "amen's" in unison at the end of my prayer, and then, still holding on to my hands, with an effort that took everything she had, small puffs of air escaped her lips, then, "Lord..large...love...my Belinda." I was stunned and humbled.
On the third night, as if I had not been blessed enough already, after we finished our prayer of gratitude, and blessings on others, Mum continued again; she was becoming fluent in prayer! She prayed: "And, for, my lovely little" (the next word would not come no matter how she tried, so I helped with "Belinda" and she repeated, "Belinda."
"Mum, thank you, your prayer means so much," I said, "I feel like a little baby again being rocked in your arms."
"Oh," she said, with eyes that beamed intense love, "You're much better than a little baby."
And again I was undone and carry with me still the blessing of those moments.
This song by one of Mum's favourite singers: Precious Memories by the late Jim Reeves.
Comments
I'm thankful for these precious memories God has given you of your dear Mum.
I'd forgotten it was Jim Reeves who sang this song. I have long associated it with my Grandpa.