Impossible Moments

“Come on, Mom, let’s get moving. The Y class starts in half an hour,” I called from the bathroom. I had been encouraging her to finish her coffee and pack her swimsuit for the past ten minutes with little response. I heard the chair squeak across the kitchen floor. Finally, I thought, leading her into her bedroom to pack her bag. “Where are we going?” she asked for the third time, looking blankly at the bag I handed her. “To water aerobics at the Y. It’s Tuesday,” I said, frustration in my voice. After several more fits and starts, we pulled out of the driveway toward the YMCA.

My mother had moved in with us a year earlier. Her Alzheimer’s worsened, and we realized she couldn’t live alone. Technically, we all moved into a new place, Mom from her fifth-floor condo, us from our one-bathroom townhouse. One thing Steve and I didn’t want to share with Mom was a bathroom, and the rental home we found with the help of a friend had two full bathrooms and it was a ranch. No stairs for Mom to navigate and our own on-suite bathroom. Whew!

On the ride to the Y, I put on a Christian radio station, knowing they played uplifting music in the morning. I sang loudly as one of my favorite worship songs played. Each day caring for my mom could stretch my patience. The Lord offered surprising little miracles in between the struggles, like her being dressed and ready on time for a change. As my voice joined in the praise song on the radio, the Lord reminded me that His grace is sufficient even for the seemingly impossible moments. That morning, I sang some hard-fought hallelujahs.

Take a few minutes to listen to Brandon Lake’s powerful new song, “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” https://youtu.be/CtJPdiYk15g