A year of obedience

After my mom's car accident, I made a promise to God. "LORD, for the next year, I will be Your obedient servant. I will take care of my mom and drive her any place she needs to go. I will not whine or complain. As much as this Mitochondrial Disease challenges me, I know the obstacles my mom is facing are far greater. I have no excuse to grumble."

During the next year, my mom had endless appointments. My mom could not drive. So, whenever she had an appointment, I was her chauffeur. Often her appointments were 30-40 minutes away from our home. I mustered up all my energy to make the drive. During her appointments, I would sit in the car and take a nap. When we arrived home, I would dutifully go to the kitchen and prepare supper for my mom and dad. (My mom would be completely exhausted from her appointment and would quickly fall asleep...and my dad has very limited cooking skills. He can cook a frozen pizza in the oven and burn grilled cheese sandwiches on the stove. So, if food was to be prepared, I was the one who had to do it.)

As the weeks and months rolled by, my level of fatigue grew worse and worse. By 7 o'clock in the evening, I was in bed. When morning came, I fought with all my might to get out of bed. I would go to the kitchen and make a strong brew of tea to help get my body moving. Each day, I made an assessment of my mom's health progress. I would mentally note every small success. "Today, my mom sat for five minutes at the dining room table before she had to go back to bed. Today, my mom walked for a minute without needing to take a break." Each small task she could complete was a giant victory in my book. The more she healed, the sooner I knew my services would no longer be necessary.

By the seventh month of my promise, I began to doubt I could keep my vow to God. My body was so taxed of energy, it could no longer digest food. Thankfully, my mom's one doctor's appointment was located a few blocks from a food cooperative. During my mom's appointments, I would sneak off to the tiny store and commandeer a half gallon of organic whole milk. I would briskly shake the glass bottle, mixing the cream layer with the rest of the milk. I then had about ten minutes to chug the half gallon of milk before I needed to pick my mom back up. The ice cold dairy delight was magic to my body--it gave me an incredible boost of energy. I then had enough strength to drive my mom and me back home.

As month nine came to pass, my body was constantly shaking with fatigue. As my mom gained stamina, she wanted to do more and more tasks. Normally, I would have been very against her exerting herself and possibly injuring herself, but at the moment, I was completely out of energy. Anything she could do meant I could save my energy for other undertakings. I did not hinder her enthusiasm.

Right around month ten, my mom had recovered enough and had gained the courage to attempt to drive. In my normal state, I would have insisted to continue driving her. But in my energy deprived state, I was her biggest cheerleader. I would even encourage her to drive and attempt farther distances. Very quickly, she gained the confidence to drive short distances.

Before the completion of one full year, my parents decided to go visit family and friends in warmer climates. (My mom noticed she did much better in warmer weather, and with her physician's support, my mom happily went on an extended vacation.) By this time, my fatigue was so intense, I constantly had tears in my eyes. I was never sure if I might just collapse from sheer exhaustion. When my parents left on their extended holiday, I went to bed and stayed there for four months. I did little more than crawl to the bathroom and back to my bed. Every fiber of my body quivered with extreme tiredness. I praised and thanked God my parents went out of town, and I was allowed to rest unhindered for a very long time. Although I did not technically assist my mom for one full year, I know God arranged everything to give me a much needed rest.

When the one full year of obedience came to pass, I thanked God for the opportunity to grow in my obedience. I thanked God for the opportunity to quell my tongue. Before my mom's accident, I would talk haphazardly, never thinking about what flowed out of my mouth. Now, I am much more guarded in my speech and try not to make a fuss about my health. Although many years have passed, my mom continues having health challenges from her automobile accident injuries. As frustrated as some situation leave her, I try to rally behind her, encourage her and remind her how far she has come. Even if I can no longer physically help her, I try my best to cheer her on.

(Link to my mom’s car accident blog post, click here)