My sister Amanda, is due with their 2nd in a week. She was there when my father died four years ago and here reflects on some of those memories compared to my grandmother's condition. I am so thankful for these words:
"Hi David, how is everything so far?
...As I can see and imagine, there hasn´t been much change with gramma, but I do understand also how you must be feeling , exhausted, tired, unpatient, and many other feelings there. I also imagine you´re still trying not to lose hope in the Lord that something good could happen with her, which we also hope for. I think that one of the best things you can do right now, since there isn´t much to do, is as you say in your Sunday article, try also to concentrate a little on other important things, which you feel will keep your mind off gramma at least for a short moment. I´m not saying it´s easy and please don´t think I don´t care, it´s just that since you´re not feeling too well, I think this is what you need, and going to church and doing what you like to do there, can be very helpful also.
...You´re a true blessing for all of us David, and I´m also sure the Lord is with you in these moments and will be there to guide you through this new stage of your life. It won´t be easy, we all know this, especially since we´ve been through something similar before, but you know God´s been with us and what can we do against His will?
One last thing my dear brother, I would like you to know, in case I haven´t told you, is that when our dad was in the hospital many people would come to pray for a miracle, and I was fine with that because I knew it wasn´t impossible, but most of all, because I knew this was what mom wanted to hear and wanted to believe only. And to me seeing my dad there in a comma was too hard, almost impossible to bear, but I had to be there to support my mom. Anyways, the doctors were just waiting for my dad to die, since to them nothing else could be done and maybe you could think how unsensitive they were, but they were just being honest and never kept the truth from us. So, what I´m trying to say is that there was a moment when I realized I had to stop praying for a miracle because it just wasn´t going to happen, and not because I had started to lose faith, but because I had realized that was just it. God had already decided it was dad´s time to meet with Him, so then I started asking he Lord to take him as soon as possible so he wouldn´t suffer much longer and we wouldn´t have to suffer seeing him there for more time either, and you will not believe this, but I felt the Lord answered this prayer, which came of course with so much pain, but which I knew was the right thing to do.
So, David I want you to analize my words, I´m suffering too even though we´re so far away and I cannot see gramma, but pray so the Lord helps you make the right decisions and that your prayers are also the correct ones.
Please know we love you lots, we´re constantly praying here at home and the people from church in their homes too, so don´t forget to maintain us informed. Remember you´re our only source. Tell my mom I´m fine, still waiting for her other grandaughter to come and trying to keep calmed to have strength for that moment. Thank you for your prayers, which I´m sure you continue to have for us. I really hope this new baby brings us all a little breeze of happiness in the middle of so much sorrow.
God bless you all and tell mom to call at least for a little while to hear how is she feeling. This is very important for me, I´m sure you understand.
Okay, bye for now. Love, your sister,
Amanda"