In thinking of hospice, I have come to realize that this transition period joins the past experiences with the future hope while enduring the present. It has become a time for our family to gain a different perspective of our life together seeing how God has orchestrated our lives individually and collectively to accomplish His plan.  And it continues to be an ongoing adventure as we realize more and more how various situations have brought noticeable blessings as well as "blessings in disguise" we could have easily missed.

Sprinkled throughout the moments of the day we have had time to talk of memorable experiences from the past and gain new perspectives when seeing things through the eyes of the other person. We see, also, how each one's  perspective has influenced the memory in different ways and affected later decisions in their life. It has reminded us that much of our present mindset has been influenced by these experiences.

Not wanting to relive the past, we also have relied on the hope of our future in Christ.  We are able to face each day knowing that God is still with us, He is still working in our lives, His love for us as individuals has not lessened, and His plan will still be accomplished in His time, not ours.

So, how do we face each day during this time? I must, say, it all begins with giving each day to God and periodically reminding ourselves throughout the day that each day we are given is a gift from God.  Amid the daily chores and responsibilities we are reminded of our purpose in serving God by serving others.  And we can find moments of laughter in the moments of human error. When interruptions and inconveniences mask this gift from God the simplest tasks then become an unwanted chore and the joy of the Lord is far from evident . How thankful I am that God brings moments of levity at just the right time to bring our focus back to reality.

Isaiah wrote, "Forget the former things; Do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the the desert. (43:18-19)

Providing the way through the "wilderness" of our life takes time.  God continues to work through the help of hospice to provide the best way for Steve now in order to bring him to the best end result. God's plan is not dictated by our timeline. As medications lose effectiveness they have been able to find the next step in his treatment to give him comfort. We trust God to lead Steve step by step toward his goal.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)