His grip is still strong

 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13

Even seven and a half years ago, my dad was starting to fade.  He didn’t exactly understand Heather and Dustin’s wedding, what with the hundreds of candles lit by Brandon, the donkey-with-the-unicorn-horn being led around by Ali, and deniz dangling out of The Tree on a long flapping piece of turquoise silk. It was sort of out of his realm of experience.

But there were a few moments he totally got. One was the kind of crazy dancing afterwards with his children and grandchildren and his heart laughed and he was young again.  And the other was when he and Jack opened up the service singing the doxology: 

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Because the idea of eucharisteo, asking grace and giving thanksgiving frames who is.  He loves to offer up the prayer before the meal, even though sometimes now he drifts off and needs someone else to finish, “In Jesus’ name Amen,” and sometimes when we would have visitors he would insert the complete Four Spiritual Laws just in case they needed to know God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life, but the prayer was never just about the enchiladas suisa before us, but a rhythmic reminder of every good thing that comes from His hand: 

Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl.

Eucharist always precedes the miracle.  The miracle gifts from God that are new every morning.

And dad is not doing so well right now.  Something happened yesterday, whether it be pneumonia or stroke or whatever. And his mind is taking him down mysterious paths and he is thrashing a bit and can’t walk or even sit up and nothing has names anymore.  

But when I wrap him in my arms and say, “Dad, I love you,” he echos, “You do?” and smiles big.  

And I click onto Pandora hymns and just every now and then he sings along, “Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,” and smiles big.

And hospice has rolled in wonderfully and set up a bed with rails and briefs and meds and will come in and bathe him and my mom feels very encouraged with their help and who knows what will happen next.  Maybe the antibiotics will kick in and maybe not. But one thing is very sure indeed, His name is to be praised.

Leaning on the arms of Jesus,

Oh, it is so sweet and precious!

He will surely bless and keep us,

Calmly resting free from care.