As I prepare to go to Little Rock for my Uncle Paul's Mass of Resurrection, I ponder the last 10 plus months that he has been living in Hot Springs since his forced move there due to declining health.  There have certainly been hard times for him and challenging times for those who cared for him and who tried to encourage his spirits in spite of the deterioration of his mind and body.  

I choose to dwell on these and many other blessings that have come from this experience.  They include the wonderful people who cared for him and who care for others who are in a similar situation.  Those who offer care to those in assisted living and nursing home facilities with love every day, are to be commended and need our prayers for patience and understanding.  I thank the Lord as well, for being able to minister to my uncle and be with him for 10 consecutive months, though they were (due to his health) unlike the three months at a time that I used to see him when he made an annual visit to Arkansas from Tokyo.  I thank the Lord for his dear wife Toshiko who was at his side almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, caring for  his needs.  I thank the Lord, especially due to the parish I'm now in with many instances of declining health, to have had this experience of traveling this journey with my uncle.

Hopefully in the future, it will inspire me to be empathetic to those who are going through a similar journey with their loved one. Finally (and probably not finally, as I'm sure more blessings will come to mind), I thank the Lord for those who interceded for my uncle in their prayers the last 10 months.  I'm continually finding reasons to rejoice in a congregation that is so full of love and mercy of God.  GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU.