Co-founder and Vice President Kim Eckenroth, MS, APRN, FNP-C, often writes devotionals for our staff. We thought you might also appreciate them, so we created a special section on our blog to share them with you. We hope they touch your heart too.
Deuteronomy 5:16 (TLB)
“Honor your father and mother (remember, this is a commandment of the Lord your God); if you do so, you shall have a long, prosperous life in the land he is giving you.”
Thinking this morning about missing my parents and days gone by. My two brothers and I were very fortunate to be born into a Christian, hardworking family. We kids and grandchildren meant the world to our parents. They were encouraging, pushing us to do our best and always setting a high bar for our lives. They taught us to see the good in others and to look for opportunities to bless those around us. They made mistakes and were not perfect parents but to me they were the best one could ever want.
This picture was taken about seven weeks before my dad died. We had no idea how he was to the end of his life when he was when diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
This picture was taken on a cool June day and as you can see he and Tyler were eating watermelon. They were outside on the porch steps. Daddy was teaching Tyler how to spit watermelon seeds. They were having a great time, all while under the supervision of Lolo as she was eating a cookie.
This was the last picture we had of Tyler and Daddy. It is to this day a sweet memory.
What sweet memory comes to your mind of your family? Maybe it is of a sister, taking in and doctoring an injured wild animal or a grandmother cooking your favorite meal. Maybe it was taking a trip, the birth of your child, graduating from high school?
The Lord has given us the gift of family and memories to encourage us, to anchor our hearts and to provide us a safety net when times are difficult. Our memories can help serve as motivation to help us overcome deficiencies in our lives and, with God’s leading, guide us to healing from the battles of life.
Praying for you all today, our hospice family. Strength, wisdom and courage. Your kindness may be the only hope our patients see today.
Kim