One of the main characters in “Detours” is confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home at a young age. Have you ever considered how you would handle being in a nursing home? Most people abhor the idea and make their family promise they would never put them there. But what if they have no choice?
I don’t have to wonder about that for long, because I did spend about a month in one, recovering from a medical situation. Except for the physical limitations on getting around, I don’t think it was so bad. My roommate and I enjoyed visiting. The staff was friendly and usually answered the call for help to the bathroom. Even the food was tasty, but when you’re on a steroid regimen, you’re hungry, and all the food looks good. I even asked my table mate one time if she was going to eat her parsley or if I could have it. It’s no wonder that Ithat I came away from that experience without fear of going back someday.
But now that my hearing is failing, and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and I don’t get around like Jack Be Nimble any more, would it really be all that tolerable? What if I couldn’t hear people talking to me? What if I couldn’t read a book? What if I couldn’t get out of bed to take advantage of the planned activities? I was fortunate to have many visitors the first time, but would they come again? What about after two months? A year? Many years?
And if I could still think straight, would I long for the home I would never see again? Would I long for church fellowship? Would I wonder what is happening in the world outside as it races by and I just sit in my recliner or lie in my bed? My prayer is that I would be content, patient, and joyful in the Lord. I imagine that I would long to go home to Jesus and be done with this world. But who knows what the situation may be at that time.
There are really only two reasons why I’m still alive. One, I’m in a time of grace, being given a chance to quit resisting Jesus. And two, I haven’t finished the assignment God gave me in telling others about Jesus. There is still someone out there who needs to hear the gospel from me. There are still friends of faith who need my encouragement. But in the meantime, I can take comfort in knowing that no matter what, Jesus loves me, He’ll take care of me, and someday, sooner or later, He’ll take me home to be with Him.