Very Present Help
Sep 5, 2021 | by The Fellowship
In Psalm 146:9, the Bible states that God sustains the widow. Our Lord has beautifully demonstrated the truth of that promise in the life of my 85-year-old mother.
A very devout and Godly woman, my mother lives in a suburb of Toronto, Canada. She gets up every morning at 3:30 a.m., grooms herself perfectly, and drives to the early morning prayer service at her Korean church.
This tiny woman is a self-proclaimed fashionista who dyes her hair red and always wears colorful clothes. Barely weighing more than 100 pounds, this woman of faith walks with her back straight.
My dad passed away three years ago when he was 90 after battling with severe Alzheimer’s for 10 years. During all that time, my mom refused to send him to an appropriate facility. Instead, she took care of him at home singlehandedly. Even though my two brothers, who live close by, helped her a lot and social services in Canada provided resources, taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient is a very hard thing. But my mom never lost her sunny disposition and always looked her best.
Ever since I came to the United States as a student in 1992, my parents made it a point to visit me here every year. Even in my dad’s last years when he could no longer walk, my mom brought a wheelchair and flew with him to see me.
After my dad passed away, it seemed like my mom adjusted well. She kept herself busy as usual. Besides going to church every morning, she also went to English school every day, learned ballroom dancing, and played ping-pong and participated in other activities at senior centers.
Then came COVID 19 … and everything closed! She could not go to church. Her English class went online, but she is not good at using a computer. The worst thing was that for almost two years, we could not meet!
My mom was depressed due to the isolation and started to have anxiety attacks. And her hearing has declined. As I have called her throughout the pandemic, I could tell her emotional and mental strength was slipping away. She could not understand me well over the phone … even if I was yelling.
A couple of months ago during a service at The Fellowship, I wrote a one-sentence prayer request: “I want to see my mom!” We were anticipating travel to open between Canada and the United States, but it kept being postponed. Finally in July, the announcement came that vaccinated Canadians were exempt from a mandatory two-week quarantine when coming back home on an international flight – including those from the United States!
I consulted my husband and my two brothers about bringing mom to Houston to visit. They were skeptical and said, “This is not a good time. She should not travel. We better wait.”
But I really wanted to see my mom! So, I prayed and requested the Prayer Team to also pray. Finally, my husband and my brothers said OK!
My mom's non-stop flight to Houston was quite smooth. She took a COVID test before boarding the plane and Voila -- I met her at the baggage claim at IAH. What a joy! She still looked good, and I was extremely relieved!
While she was here for two weeks, my daughters started the new school year. After dropping them off in the mornings, my mom and I would go to a coffeeshop and take a stroll. We went to the YMCA to exercise, and to services at The Fellowship both Sundays she was here.
The time flew by, and her departure was upon us! Coming to the States was relatively easy but going back to Canada meant a lot of COVID-related requirements. It was not just a PCR COVID test 72 hours before the flight, but the Canadian government also required electronic registration with vaccine records uploaded and quarantine plans … “just in case!” There was another COVID test right before the flight and an additional one after landing in Canada. Only travelers are allowed in the Toronto Airport building and must be picked up outside of the building.
This was a lot to deal with for an 85-year-old woman traveling alone with bad hearing and limited English. Could she navigate all those complicated processes all by herself? She needed supernatural help. So, we prayed … and I requested the Prayer Team to lift her up!
God answered! Last week my mom very safely and smoothly went back to Canada! The Bible mentions widows’ innumerable times -- which shows how precious they are in the sight of our Lord! All praise to Him who never takes His eyes off us!
E.L.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1