Remarkable Answers
On this Canada Day weekend we have a lot to be thankful for. Canada is among the best countries in the world. I also want to use this opportunity to express appreciation to all who wished us well in our move. I especially want to give credit to the Lord for having the pieces of the puzzle fall into place so neatly. I realize that some who read this would mark it down as just a coincidence, but we don’t. Here is why!
Helen and I had been searching for about two years to find a Care Facility setting that would accommodate Helen’s needs in her advancing stages of Parkinson’s. Her list of hopes, requests and prayers were very specific:
– a community of buildings that housed all 3 major levels of care,
– built and operated by a Christian society,
– near to family and friends,
– attractively landscaped and away from downtown,
– near a park or river and somewhat removed from congestion.
This amounted to a half-way house to heaven!! I thought she was asking for too much. We searched up and down the Okanagan and some Care Facilities fulfilled part of the list. We put our names on a waiting list for one of them. While we were in Chilliwack for our granddaughter’s wedding, a friend mentioned that the Elim Society was building a Village on 9.5 acres near the Vedder River that just might fit. We checked it out. It is developed and operated by the Elim Society, a Christian group that has very successfully built and operated a 20 acre Village in Surrey. The first independent living building is now ready, with buildings to follow that will house supportive and residential care levels. We both have many family members, relatives and friends in Chilliwack and Abbotsford. The only 2 bedroom units unclaimed were on the first floor. We put our claim in for a unit.
On the way back to Oliver Helen said that it would be nice if:
– we could have a corner unit instead of sandwiched between two other units,
– the windows in that unit faced east and south to combat SADS,
. that unit would be on the second or third floor for greater security and privacy.
Now she was asking for a place three quarters of the way to heaven!
We were supposed to come back on Sept. 29 to finalize matters but it was post-poned to Oct. 6 due to circumstances beyond their control. After we met with the Elim financial representative on Oct. 6 to sign for the unit I just thought I’d ask, at the end, if any 2 bedroom units on the 2nd or 3rd floor had been relinquished. “Yes”, she said. “One just became available a few hours ago.” Helen asked, “Is it a corner unit?” Yes, it was! “Do the windows face south and east?” Yes, they did. We marvelled at the realization that every one of the 8 specific requests were answered. Had we come on the Sept. 29th date, the corner unit would not have been available.
Thank you, Lord! You’ve been good to us far beyond what we deserve, even though our biggest request, for Helen’s healing, has not been answered yet. It isn’t about what we are going through that really counts, but how we go through it. It seems that the Lord wants to teach me lessons in commitment and genuine caregiving that I haven’t yet learned. We moved in on June 20. It is a delightful place to be even though we really did not want to leave Oliver. Moving was very stressful and more difficult for Helen, but we are thankful for this lovely place.
Henry Wiebe