Dad is Called Home

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.    Isaiah 55:8-9

I start this post with this verse because it states what I know to be true in my heart, but my worrisome mind seems to forget.  

As I have said in earlier posts, one of my greatest concerns with going out into the mission field was my Dad.  I knew he would be very upset about such a move and I felt the responsibility to be here for him.  These concerns grew when Dad was diagnosed with gastric/esophageal cancer during the summer of 2012.  

Dad started chemo/radiation treatments to shrink the tumor before surgery in July. He had just finished up the scheduled treatments when we traveled to Haiti for our survey trip at the end of August.  He took a month to let his body recover and we met with his surgeon in early October regarding surgery to remove the tumor.  For various reasons, his surgery was not scheduled until November 17th.  

At a follow-up appointment with his oncologist on Tuesday, November 13th, his CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen) levels were extremely high which indicated a progression of his cancer.  The oncologist ordered a CT scan to be done on Wednesday.  On Friday, November 16, (the day before his scheduled surgery) we learned that the cancer had progressed significantly throughout all of his lower abdomen.  At this point, surgery was no longer an option and his doctors were recommending hospice care.  


Interestingly, we learned the seriousness of his condition on the same day that our plans for mission service were announced.  What a mix of emotions!  It was sad to learn that Dad's time on this earth was short, yet our prayer was that he could go quickly and would not have to suffer a long and painful decline.  

I traveled the 200 miles down to Moundridge to be with Dad to meet with hospice on November 20th.  While I was there, Dad wanted to go to the funeral home and make some of the arrangements; it seemed to give him some peace of mind to have this done.  His pastor visited us that day as well and I was encouraged when she shared Psalms 121 with us as this chapter had been an inspiration and comfort to me throughout the last few months.  During my time with Dad, he expressed to me several times that he was ready to go.  I appreciated and was thankful for the peace that was evident in his heart. 

I came back home that evening, but in conversations with the hospice nurse the next day, it was determined that Dad would need round the clock care ASAP.  Unfortunately, it was the day before Thanksgiving and we were not able to arrange anything until Friday, November 23th.  Dad had some wonderful and loving neighbors that stayed with him all day and overnight on Wednesday.  On Thursday(Thanksgiving), Steve and Sue Towns were planning to visit Dad and they stayed with him all day and overnight.  Sue's parents had been like second parents to Dad when he was student at KSU and worked for them during the summers.  Dad had always thought of Sue as his sister.

I planned to travel back down on Friday and we had an appointment set-up with in-home care service providers and I planned to investigate the skilled-care nursing facilities in Moundridge as well.  My plan was to stay with Dad until we made arrangements for his care and Rick was bringing our children to see him on Saturday.  In the early morning hours of Friday, November 23rd, Steve called to tell me that Dad had passed away.  In His divine mercy, God called him home quickly.

It had only been a week since we learned of the progression of cancer so it seemed that he had gone very quickly.  Dad had expressed to me earlier in the month that he thought the cancer was changing and that his time was short.  I guess he knew what was happening with his body and he had more time to prepare than I did.  Yes, I do wish he could have seen our children again before he died, yet I learned that he was asking for Jesus to come and take him in the hours before he died.  How wonderful to go and see Jesus!  I thank God for His mercy, for His love and for His comfort.

In retrospect, I see God's hand continuing to work in our lives.  God knew my concerns and fears before He asked us to follow Him and He knew how to orchestrate the timing of lives to allow us to serve Him.  I have felt all along that God would provide for my Dad if He asked us to move to Haiti; I guess I worried most about how He would provide and I stewed with my own lack of understanding.  His ways are so much higher than my ways and His thoughts than my thoughts...