"Though the wrong seems oft so strong..."

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trainapaster.com. Welcome to Hope for the Caregiver here on American Family Radio. This is Peter Rosenberger. We are live and we are glad to have you with us. This is the nation's number one show for you as a family caregiver. For those of you pushing the wheelchair, staying up late at night, cleaning, on the phone with insurance companies, back and forth to the doctor's office, pharmacies, special needs children, dealing with an aging love, maybe somebody who's had a bad event with trauma, maybe you've got an alcoholic or an addict in your family who has a chronic impairment. A chronic impairment means there's a caregiver and we're glad to have you as a part of the show to hear ways that you can stay strong and healthy as you take care of someone who is not.

If you want to be a part of the show 888-589-8840, 888-589-8840 and we'd be glad to have you join the show. Stewardship. Stewardship instead of obligation. How many of you all hear that word stewardship anymore? Stewardship is a word that our federal government and pretty much most of our state governments and pretty much most of our city governments. In fact, pretty much every government has no concept of because look at, you know, for example, our nation worth $30 trillion in debt. They're just printing. They don't even care about a budget.

Why worry about a budget when you just print money and we're at $30 trillion in debt. We'll never get out of that in our lifetime, our grandchildren's lifetime. So stewardship is not a concept that our world is embracing and yet that was the first, that was the first task assigned to man.

Adam was to tend the garden. Stewardship. And you hear words like this from caregivers. I've got to, I need to, I have to, I must, I should. Every caregiver at some point will make these and other similar statements. And sadly, all too frequently, the feeling of obligation drives us to push ourselves to dangerous levels for our health, finances, and emotional stability. We just feel obligated all the time. How many of you all feel obligated right now?

How many of you were saying words like I've got to, I need to, I have to, I must. Well, despite our best efforts at solutions, we usually come up short as caregivers, mostly because fixing the problem is way above our pay grade. As caregivers, we don't own the circumstances of our loved ones. We're stewards. Stewardship.

Embrace this word. Embracing that concept of stewardship frees us to accept we are doing the best we can with what is within our power and abilities. Feeling obligated can quickly take us into resentment, which compromises the ability to live a healthy life and thereby serve as a healthy caregiver. Because you know, healthy caregivers make better caregivers. If we adopt an attitude of stewardship, it can help us breathe easier and treat ourselves with mercy.

All of which equips us to be better caregivers. Do you own this? Did you cause it? Can you cure it? No, then it's not yours to fix.

And all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And I think that is, there's something very profound in that statement to realize that some things that are just beyond our control as caregivers. So I want to just open up with that concept of stewardship. Are we being good stewards of the situation that we find ourselves in as caregivers? Are you being a good steward of yourself? You know, you are all that's standing between your loved one and even worse disaster when it comes to certain things. Are you being a good steward of that? Or do you feel like you've somehow got to fix this and you own it? You being a good steward of yourself.

What happens to them if they're left without a caregiver? You know, and you're invited to be a steward, not to own it. God owns this.

You're a steward and there is a difference. And that brings us to my musical, I don't know, trivia question. I don't even know what to call this, but I'm going to do a song for you, a hymn.

And if you know it, I want you to call in and tell me about it because we're going to talk about it. Particularly one of the stanzas in this hymn is going to talk about what we're doing as caregivers today. And so I'm going to step over here to the caregiver keyboard.

I am now at the caregiver keyboard. All right. So if you know this song, give us a call. 888-589-8840. Here it is.

All right. If you know that hymn, 888-589-8840, that is going to be the topic we're going to talk about today on the show, because we're going to get into this thing. We're going to unpack a little bit more of stewardship versus obligation. So many caregivers get trapped in this obligation quagmire. I've got to, I must, I need to, I have to, I'm supposed to. And God says we're stewards. This belongs to him.

So if you know that song, 888-589-8840. And if you want to talk about something else that's going on with you, certainly we'll veer into that, I wanted to drill down on this topic today because so many caregivers get torqued in this place. And the thing about obligation, when you feel like that you have to do something, you must do something, you should be doing something, you're supposed to be doing something. It takes microseconds for that to turn into resentment. How many of you all struggle with resentment even today, right now? We're all going to be there.

We all get there. And when we deal with this obligation in a manner of flipping it into stewardship, it helps us then address that problem of resentment and realize, okay, God is working in this. Do we know this? Do we believe this? And so if we do believe this, what does that look like as we flesh this out as caregivers? All right, so 888-589-8840.

If the phone lines are slammed, which they appear to be, and please hang on and try a little bit later and keep trying because we want to get to you, your opinion, your thoughts, your heart on this is important. And we want to discuss this as caregivers. This is why this show is so different because we're not going into the caregiving task.

We're not spending time trying to unpack how to deal with an insurance company. Once you got that, you got it. How many of you all have ever given an injection? I mean, the first time I gave a shot to Gracie, it was a little bit weird. They didn't teach me anything about that in music school. But after a while, okay, we got it. It's not that big of a deal. I don't have to be reminded of how to do it every time.

Same thing with dealing with an insurance company or same thing dealing with doctors or whatever. There are things that we can incorporate in how we do this, but they're one and done. We got it.

Okay. I don't need to be reminded of this. I've changed very complex dressing.

I'm sure many of you all have. Yeah, we got to be trained on it the first time, but I don't need repeated training. But when it comes to matters of the heart, when it comes to what's going on deep in the core of who we are, that's where we need that constant reminder. I have caregiver amnesia, and I got to be reminded of it. I have gospel amnesia.

I have to be reminded of the gospel. And my 35 years now as a caregiver has convinced me beyond any shadow of a doubt that the issue for all of us as family caregivers is always in the heart. The task will take care of themselves if the heart is better equipped. And if your heart is a train wreck, what's going to happen to your wallet? What's going to happen to your job? What's going to happen to your home?

The maintenance around your home? What's going to happen to your relationships? What's going to happen to your finances? All these things, what's going to happen to your physical body if your heart is a mess? This is where the battle is for us as individuals, as human beings. And for caregivers, that battle is a little bit more intense because we deal with these things so often, so relentlessly. This is what we're going to unpack today. We're going to get to your phone calls in just a moment.

This is hope for the caregiver. This is Peter Rose. Have you ever left the stove on? I'll be honest, you know you have.

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fireavert.com. Promo code caregiver. Welcome back to Hope You Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberg. This is the show for you as a family caregiver.

That's Gracie from her CD Resilient. Life is in your hands. You believe that?

You believe that? This is the purpose of everything we're doing on the show is to better equip us to see these things. And then once we see them, embrace them, once we embrace them, they take hold of us. And then we're able to function differently as caregivers, as human beings.

This is the human condition of understanding God's sovereignty in our journey. And that brings us to our song for today. And so we've got several folks that have weighed in.

They have, they know it. Let's start with Anne in Mississippi. Anne, good morning. How are you feeling?

Good morning. I feel better. You feel better when you feel it, when you're feeling poorly? No, but I did call in one time, a long time, well a year ago or so, I don't remember, and talked to you and you made me feel a lot better over my caregiving situation and that sort of thing. Are you still caregiving?

No, he's passed away. And how are you doing with all that? Oh, I went through some terrible depression, the lowest. I've been depressed a few times in my life, but that was the worst one. I mean, it was, a lot of it was guilt and, you know, that sort of thing. But the Lord delivered me. Praise the Lord.

He did. What do you do now? Well, I'm retired. I work in the yard, a good bed, and I spend some time with my grandchildren. And yeah, sometimes I'm just couch potato. Is there something particular you enjoy that's fun, whatever, and that really kind of makes your heart sing a bit?

Well, I really like yard work, even though it's sometimes physically, I can't hold up, but I just like being outside. This is my Father's world. I love being outside. And that's a good segue to the song today, wasn't it?

That's right. So tell me about that song. You obviously recognized it. Tell me about that song, what it means to you. The hymn is, This is My Father's World.

And we're going to unpack this a little bit. Tell me a little bit about that song. Do you have anything, any special connection to it, or do you just recognize the tune or what? Well, I recognize the tune.

I played the organ in a small church for a while, for a long time, but it's been a good while since I did it. And I just love looking at God's world. I mean, just the beauty. Just, for instance, a little hosta plant coming up from the ground, an inch tall. I take pictures of things all the time, but it had purple on it and green and white, but when it's in full bloom, I mean, not bloom, but when it's green and white, it's variegated anyway. But when it's in full growth, there's no purple on it.

But when it's coming out of the ground, it's got that beautiful shade of purple added. I mean, that's just so awesome. You can just look around.

I mean, how can people not believe there's a God? Like the Bible says, you have no excuse. All you have to do is look around at this Father's world. I mean, I'm just, I'm getting emotional.

No, I think it's an emotional topic. I think it's very appropriate what you're saying. I was down in South Carolina last week and my father, I live in Montana and we have extreme majesty out here. I mean, I look at, I have a 40 mile view, you know, and it's, we were up in the Rockies and, but I go back to where I'm from in South Carolina because the people out here know that I was not raised in Montana.

By the way, I thought I could open my mouth and they'll know I wasn't from here. But I go back there to South Carolina and look at all these azaleas my dad had around the house. And I just stopped for a moment just to reflect. I mean, they were everywhere. They were all in bloom. And it was just the color was magnificent. And that's one of the lines of this hymn in the second stanza. This is my Father's World. The birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily white declare their maker's praise.

He shines in all that's fair. Trading on playing the instrument instead of listening to the words that much. That's awesome. Well, and for me as a musician, you know, for a long time, I was the same way. I was having to get so locked in to make sure I didn't blow the song and make sure that I didn't mess up. And but there was that point when I did this enough that I was able to go back and look at the text and start to just sing along with the hymns and realize that these these hymn writers have left us.

That's why I do this on the show. They've left us a treasure trove of things. And they've said things in a way that are so soul stirring. And so I want to introduce these things in a way to us as fellow caregivers, so that we have that as well.

So that when we become agitated, when we become over overwhelmed, that we can go back to these things and they're easily they're easy to remember. And so throughout the rest of the day, I'm hoping that after listening to show that my fellow caregivers and I will all be going around going da da da da da da da da, you know, and just see it and we'll just remind ourselves because we understand that he is sovereign over all of these things. And even the most distressing things that we're dealing with as caregivers, he's still sovereign over this. And that doesn't mean it's not painful. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, all those kinds of things.

But it does mean that he's inviting us to trust him in it. And so that's where we are. Now, let me ask you, when did your husband pass away? Was it your husband? Uh-huh, 2019.

Less than September, less than about a year and a half ago, if I've got my math right. Well, how did you get through the first anniversary of that? Because there are a lot of people that are in that situation right now. And they'd like to know, you know, how you get through something like that. How did you get through that first anniversary of his passing away? Well, it is tough.

It's tough. I mean, little things remind you of him, you know, well, that's what Papa did. I'll tell the grandchildren or Papa would say this, or he would sit there, or we'd go to this restaurant, and that's where you, me and my papa, your papa used to sit. And, you know, just, you just, and you appreciate him. You know that saying, you never know what you got till it's gone. You realize what a good person you had, hopefully, not everybody.

But I know I didn't appreciate him enough. How long were you all married? Oh, yes, yes. No, well, how long? I know you were married. How long were you married? Oh, I'm sorry. I've been listening to June Hutt too long.

We're calling in with their problems. How long were we married, right? 44.

Yes, ma'am. 44 years. More than that, 40. Yeah, about 44. Well.

And since 75. You know, and speaking of that, I love, you know, people are certainly always welcome to call in with whatever's troubling them. But the way we've structured this show is oftentimes we call in differently that you're, you don't really have a problem. And I'm not here to solve your problems. We're just talking.

We're just you and me, you know, with, I got a cup of coffee. I don't know if you do, but, you know, we're just talking about life and God's comfort in the midst of this and strengthening us. And there are people right now who are either facing what you've gone through or getting ready to face it. And they know it. And they need to know that they can get through this. And, Anne, you're helping them do it.

And so it's not easy. It's work. It's deliberate.

It's intentional. And, you know, and I love the fact that you're sharing, you know, Pawpaw's story with the grandchildren. And you're honoring him and honoring this amazing love that you had that lasted over 44 years.

That's right. And so it's, well, I'm going to read the third stanza of this hymn. And I hope that as you go out, is it nice? What's the weather like today where you are in Mississippi?

It's supposed to be pretty. And I'm hopefully going to get to mow the yard. There's been so much rain and I've got two acres to keep up with, but I had some help sometimes.

So I appreciate that. When I came back to Montana, after being in Carolina, everything was colored green and we're still haven't quite got spring up here yet where we are. It's wanting to.

We had snow yesterday. Oh, goodness. But I want to read this verse. And as you're out mowing the yard today and working in the yard, I want you to just hum this tune.

I'm asking you if you would consider that. This is my father's world. Oh, let me never forget that though the wrong seems off so strong, God is the ruler.

Yet this is my father's world. The battle is not done. Jesus who died shall be satisfied and earth and heaven be one. Isn't that a great? Praise the Lord. Isn't that a great?

Praise the Lord. Isn't that a great lyric? Yes. And what it says about the wrong in the world.

I mean, how appropriate for our world right now. Indeed. And for not only just us as caregivers, you're right, but for the entire world though that though the wrong seems off so strong, God is the ruler yet. And so when we look at the news, which I try to not watch the news anymore, when we look at these things, we can be anchored in this.

And there are people right now listening to the show, maybe sometimes some for the first time, who are having to look at a horrific circumstance with their loved one. Yes. And I would say to them that though the wrong seems off so strong, God is the ruler yet.

That's right. He knows the day, the time, the minute, the second that your loved one is going to pass away. And just, you know, anyway. Well, he knows it all. And he holds on to us with his scarred hands. He holds our scared hands with his scarred hands. And that is what gives us the strength and courage to take each step, however small our steps are. And he says, that word is a lamp into my feet. It didn't say it was a search light.

It said it was a lamp. And so sometimes we can only see one step. And I imagine that there are many days and nights and still are that you could only see just tiny, tiny steps in front of you as you went through this stuff with your husband. But here you are, and you're almost two years after this, and you're still going, and you're going to go out and mow the grass, and you're going to look at all the nature around you.

And a Mississippi spring is a beautiful thing to see. It sure is. And just thank you for being such an encouragement to the audience today and for us. And I really do appreciate it, and I really do. Well, you really encouraged me too. You make me feel better. This is only the second time I've talked to you, but I wouldn't mind talking again. But anyway. You could call it any time you want.

I know it was God's sovereignty that got me through today to you. So I appreciate your program so much. Well, you are quite welcome and you're welcome to call anytime you want.

Got to run to the break. This is Peter Rosenberger. Thank you Ann. This is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the caregiver. This is the show for you as a family caregiver. 888-589-8840. We'll be right back.

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This is Peter Rosenberger. This is the show for you as a family caregiver. How are you feeling? How are you doing? How are you holding up?

What's going on with you? 888-589-8840. 888-589-8840. We're going to go back to the phone lines. Joe in Virginia. Joe, good morning.

How are you feeling? I'm doing fine, thank you, and I want to tell you how much I appreciate your ministry, your programming. Over the few years I've been listening to this, I'm no longer a caregiver. My wife passed away just five years ago now in April, but she went through that long hallway, as I call it, of dementia, Alzheimer's, and I learned quite a bit over that time.

If I might say, you had mentioned Johnny Erikson Tati. Yes, I know her well, and I think about her so often, that is, and pray for her ministry as well, and I even, well, a small part, I support her ministry financially, but point is, I remember those days, because as my wife was proceeding deeper and deeper down that long hall, she, like I suppose those who can connect with that, you forget things. One day she forgot how to brush her teeth, things like that, and I do remember how it was very difficult, and yes, I prayed a whole lot during that time, but God was good to us. We were married just 22 years, but nonetheless, we were best of friends, and I was blessed to see her all the way through the end.

I never had to put her in a nursing home. Daycare, fine, while I worked, I put her four years daycare in a local nursing home, and then the last two years was tough, because I couldn't, I had to carry her, you know, up and down the stairs, so I did in-home care for the last two years, but what you're saying, and what the previous caller said, and so many callers have said that I've listened to you now in the last few years, yes, it is, you had this particular song, this is my father's word, it's so appropriate to what we share, those of us who are caregivers in various ways, but yes, it was a challenge, but I'm so glad I had gone through it now, I understand fully, and I try to do, I can help out in my local church for those who are going through the same thing, and there's been a number of them, and I can understand, that was what I'm saying, so I can do my small part and help out when I can to be just a helper, essentially, and to be a support, even if it's just being a listener, sometimes that's so important, just to listen and share things with people. Well, that is no small thing, Joe, to be a listener and to be a supportive in that, that is not a small thing, that is the call for us, as Paul says, in Corinthians, we comfort one another with the same comfort that we ourselves have received from the God of all comfort, and what you do by just showing up, you're letting people know that you can get through this, that there is a path to this, it's painful, it's hard, it's fraught with many tears, and through many dangers, toils, and snares, as John Newton said in Amazing Grace, and so when I'd introduce these hymns to folks or remind them of these hymns, there's a very specific reason I'm doing that, and I go through the hymnal, and I pick out songs, and as I'm sitting at the piano playing, I'm thinking, okay, these are songs that we can hang our hat on, these are songs that no matter what we're going through, we're going to be able to draw comfort, and strength, and peace, and solace, and fortitude, and you know, there's a lot of songs that, gospel songs, and I love gospel songs, but they, Gracie was listening to a bunch of them, going through some stuff, and she said, you know, I'm struck by how many of these old gospel songs talk about heaven, and getting out of this place, but you know, and that's great when we all get to heaven, that'll be great, but in the meantime, we've got to live here, and how are we going to do this, and that's why I pick out these hymns that really speak to us where we are, and so I love that, you know, the stanzas of this thing, this is my father's world, I rest me in the thought of rocks, and trees, of skies, and seas, his hand, the wonders wrought, and I rest me in the thought, and it, you know, that's something that's almost alien to us as human beings, and particularly as caregivers, that we can rest, you know, sleep is different than rest, and resting is a state of our spiritual being, you know, as you went through, and I love the way you describe that, that long hallway, and as you go through that, you know, you're saying that very, very difficult, long goodbye, and resting in God's provision, and sovereignty in this is, it's not something you accidentally blunder into, it's something that you do intentionally, and so I'm, it's wonderful to hear how you're touching other people to just, like I said, Joe, you just show up, and people say, just because you showed up, that means you're still engaged, you're still doing it, you're still living life, and that in itself is its own testimony, so that's a great word. Absolutely, and music, by the way, was a very big part of both of our lives, and I remember I was told, even at the very end, when my wife couldn't respond, talk, or anything, I was told, play her favorite music, just play it, she hears it, and she hears you, and she'll hear you talking, and it was, it was a rough go at the very end, yes, but I was home with her, and I had the family here, because she was only in one week of respite, but nonetheless, we were there together, and music, and I'll just say one last thing, I don't want to keep you forever, it took me a whole year, one full year of the death, of her anniversary of when she passed away in April of 2016, I couldn't play any music at all, we had a number of CDs, both spiritual, and one of our favorite male vocal artists was, oh, no, I lost the name all of a sudden, but we played him so often, he was a black entertainer, help me, in the 1940s, I'm trying to think of his name right now, I lost it, but I remember we played him so, so often, and we played that to the end, too, and she, she listened, and she heard that, I can't think of his name, can you help me out, what his name is, he was, he sang about the daffodils in the spring, showing off their skills, I remember that.

Well, it doesn't register with me, Nat King Cole, yeah, I was going to say Nat King Cole, but I thought, I was trying to think of daffodils in the spring, but, they're unforgettable. Yeah, but he's talked about how they show it, they show off their skills, those daffodils in the springtime, and out here in Virginia, yes, the daffodils are the first sign of spring, they were a little late this year, but, yeah, it, music is so important, well, maybe not everyone, but I know that it helps, especially those who are losing it, they may not carry on a conversation with you over the years, and yet, they hear, and they'll respond. Well, Dad and I were talking about this when I was with him in South Carolina last week, and Dad's been a minister now since in his early 20s, I mean, so, and he's 86, so you do the math, he's been doing this a long time, and he's been with folks through a lot of different stages in life, and has walked all the way to the cemetery with countless people, and we shared about in the middle of dementia, or in a coma, or whatever, that music is still able to permeate in ways that it's hard to really describe. Martin Luther used to say that next to the word of God, music elevates the soul like nothing else, and I've had people in nursing homes and in hospice playing my CD, I put out a CD called Songs for the Caregiver, it's just hymns, and Gracie sings about half, and the rest of it's just instrumental, just playing, and I wanted just to play for people to do something that was just comforting to them, and they just listened to it, and I've been in places in nursing homes where people were staring out the window listlessly, and then you'd play a particular hymn, and they would start singing along with it. Exactly, we had our nursing home ministry for a time, and of course, COVID shot everything down, but we did that once a month, we'd go and we'd have a wonderful pianist, and we come from different churches in the area here, in the Richmond area, but nonetheless, we did that for quite a while, and yes, the people relate to music so much, we did a variety of songs, but it connects with them, and they participate, and some can't even perhaps sing, but you can see the expression on their face.

Oh, absolutely, and you see it with special needs children, I've got a niece that has cerebral palsy and severe developmental disabilities, and she loves it when I play the piano, and you can just see the way she responds, there's something about it, and that's why I do this on the show, and to my knowledge, I think I'm the only one that does a live keyboard thing on the show. I love to hear it, I mean, I don't think you've been doing it too often, but I think, boy, I love to hear this guy every week, go ahead and play to your own content. Well, that's very kind of you, but I want people to remember or be introduced to these great, great hymns of the faith that sustain us through, and have sustained millions before us through all these difficult things that we go through, there is nothing that we are facing as caregivers, as a nation, or anything else, that there's not somebody who has written this down in a hymn that we can hang on to and encourage ourselves with and strengthen, and like Luther said, next to the word of God, it elevates the soul like nothing else, so thank you for reminding of that, Joe, and thank you for showing up, because you are a living testament that God is still working in your life and leading you through these things, and yes, your grief is real, and your sorrow, I mean, it was five years ago this month, and your sorrow is ever-present, but here you are living life, and you're being an encouragement to others, and you're stalwart in your faith, and that means something, Joe, it really does mean something, and people do take notice, so thank you for sharing it with us. You bet, keep up that good work, will you, please?

All right, buddy, will do. All right, we're gonna keep going to Barbara in Ohio. Barbara, good morning, how are you feeling?

I'm feeling great, thank you. Did you know this hymn? No, you played the first two or three notes, and I instantly knew it, and so I had to go to my phone. I was in bed, actually.

You woke me up, and I dialed the number, and I thought, I know that song, and so I just had to call. I loved your conversations with Ann and Joe, both of them. It was so wonderful already, and I marveled at how God puts your your program together, because I have the same, I'm in the same situation as both of those, except that yesterday was my ninth month of my husband's death, the anniversary of, and so last summer we both had COVID, and his ended up in his passing on, and skipping on to the other side.

My one comfort I got on the whole thing was as we were sitting in his room behind the window. Hang on, Barbara, Barbara, hang on through the break. We've got to go to a hard break here. Can you hang on just a break, because I want to hear this. It's very important. Don't go away.

We'll be right back. This is Peter Rosenberger. This is hope for the caregiver. Have you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you? I'm Gracie Rosenberger, and in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading to 80 surgeries and both legs amputated.

I questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me, but over time my questions changed, and I discovered courage to trust God. That understanding, along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs, led me to establish Standing with Hope. For more than a dozen years we've been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people.

On a regular basis we purchase and ship equipment and supplies, and with the help of inmates in a Tennessee prison we also recycle parts from donated limbs. All of this is to point others to Christ, the source of my hope and strength. Please visit standingwithhope.com to learn more and participate in lifting others up. That's standingwithhope.com. I'm Gracie, and I am standing with hope. Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. This is the show for you as a family caregiver.

That is Gracie with Russ Taft from her CD, The Joy of the Lord. That's a part of your life this morning. I'm grateful that you're here. Thank you for sharing it with us. Give us a call and let us know about it.

888-589-8840. By the way, if you want to copy that CD, go out to hopeforthecaregiver.com. If you're finding this show to be meaningful to you, if you like what you're hearing, if you're engaged with it, be a part of what we're doing. For whatever is on your heart to support it with, we'll send you a copy of Gracie's CD at hopeforthecaregiver.com.

Just go out there and you'll see how to do that. We'd love to hear your story as well. I'm talking with Barbara in Ohio. Barbara, sorry about that. We had to go to a break.

Tell me a little bit more about your husband. This was last April, last year during COVID that you lost him. Is that correct? Yes. Last August.

August the 16th. Yes. And of course, because of COVID, we were unable to be in the room or touch him or hold him or when the squad left about seven days before that, that was the last time I was ever able to even touch him. So that was the difficult part, I think. But I think the thing that got me through was the day that we were all gathered, they did allow us to come and sit in front of the window and with the monitor there.

And he was sort of in a comatose state. But I had spent the whole day talking to him on the phone with the little thing in his ear or by his ear. I'm hoping that he was hearing me have a one-way conversation. And my son and I were sitting out there and the monitor was in front and it removed all of the cords and everything from him but looking at his phone. And he said, Mom, have you ever seen the Jesus Nebula?

And I said, no. And he picked up his phone. We were staring at the face of Jesus and amongst these stars, which NASA has called the Jesus Nebula. And I remembered the scripture that says, you'll see my sign in the sun, moon and stars in the end times. And we couldn't take our eyes off of his eyes. And at that very moment, I felt like the tap on the shoulder and the nurse said, did you notice the monitor went straight?

And I said, no. And so my son said, you know, Mom, I feel like at the time, the same time we were looking at Jesus face, Dad was taking the hand of the master and letting go with one hand and following him. You know, that's a great story.

That is a great story and a treasured story. And, you know, even though you couldn't be with him, God is not stopped by ICUs and COVID or anything else. And he was there. And he is, I'll never forget that with when Gracie, I had to stop when all the surgeries she's gone through and I had to stop at the door, but he wasn't limited.

He could go right on into the OR and he was there with her and with your husband and with you as well. And I think that I've never even heard of that, the Jesus Nebula. I think that NASA would call that, but I think that is astonishing. And it just, again, it just reflects all of scripture. All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spears is what this hymn says. This is my Father's world. And he shines in all that's fair in the rustling grass.

I hear him pass. He speaks to me everywhere. And that's why I picked this hymn today to talk about it. Obviously, it strikes a chord with so many of us. And I hope that you and others will just hum this along.

This is my Father's world. Let me never forget that though the wrong seems off so strong, God is the ruler yet. That is a great thing for us to remember in our journey as caregivers. And you have shared a beautiful story with us today, Barbara. So thank you for that. And I'm going to jump to some other calls here because I got people who've been waiting for a long time. Barbara, thank you for calling and sharing that and trusting us with that story. Okay. Well, I really wish the church would get back to the hymns because, you know, when I go for a walk, I can't, I don't, can't even recall praise songs that I've been singing, but the hymns are the things that, that really have the, the words and everything that bring you into his presence. So I always like, I could not agree more with you. That's why I'm doing it.

We're just having church here live on Saturday mornings on American Family Radio instead. I did have an experience while I was gone for 14 days. I just got home from a trip to Utah and I was caring for Jack's sister who has Alzheimer's. And so I got a taste of that and what you have to go through. And so I have a really heart for people who are caring for someone like that. And I have a very, very dear friend whose husband is going through that now. And so many people I know are.

Well, they are indeed. And that's why we do the show and, and thank you for being a part of it. I need to jump real quick because I want to hit Denise in West Virginia before we run out of time here. So thank you so much for that, Barbara.

I really do appreciate it. Denise in West Virginia. Good morning. How are you feeling? Good morning, Mr. Rosenberger. I'm, I'm feeling fine this morning. Thank you. Thank you. You got to call me Peter. We don't, we don't stand on ceremony here.

Okay. Well, tell me about this song. You knew the song, didn't you? I, I did.

As a matter of fact, I, I became familiar with it years ago when I was in a, a quartet at, at my old church. And we, we sang that song and I just really loved it. And I, tell me what's on your mind real quick.

Cause we're going to run out of time. I'm afraid. So I want to get, get to what's on your heart.

Okay. Right now, the current thing that's on my heart that I wanted to share something that God did. And yes, I, God's purpose for me was to be a caregiver. I, I did have a, we, we were blessed with a Down syndrome child for 20 years and she passed in 2018. But what I wanted to share at most current was my sister-in-law had been incarcerated. And I, we, we had different lifestyles and she was actually a nurse and she just really didn't take care of herself. And she, but she was incarcerated and got out Saturday at, but in the meantime, I had written her a letter. We, we actually didn't get along, but God, God put it on my heart to write her a letter and address it with the greeting of dearly beloved, because he put it in my heart, such love in my heart for her. And I just told her how much she was loved and missed at home and, and how much she was cared for and reminded her that Jesus loved her also. Well, she came home Saturday and then Thursday morning, my brother woke up and she was lying in bed. She had been sick with a stomachache the night before and he told her to take Mylanta and told her, come to bed when you feel better. So he had gone to bed and then the next morning he got up and she was lying in bed.

He got up to fix coffee and when it was ready, he went to get her up and she, she was lying. She was dead. She had died in her sleep. And the medical examiner thinks it was probably a heart attack, but the most wonderful thing is that God put it in my heart to write her that letter. But while she was incarcerated, they, they, she couldn't receive any greeting cards or anything like that. But I had told my brother what I had put in the letter. So he did tell her. So I'm just so happy to say that those were my parting sentiments to my beloved sister-in-law. Well, that is a powerful reminder of how important it is to follow up with those things.

I will, I will state one thing here. God did not purpose you to be a caregiver in that sense. His purpose for you is to glorify him and enjoy him forever. Now you may be a caregiver during that time and for a season, maybe even a lifetime, but his purpose is even higher than that is to glorify him and enjoy him forever. And your daughter has passed away. So am I, I'm on the same thing, but, but your daughter has passed away. Your sister-in-law has passed away, but guess what?

You're still here. So that means the purpose is greater than just the task of caregiving. Now we may be a caregiver for a lifetime, but once we understand that we have even a greater purpose, which is to glorify him, then that permeates into how we caregive. Now we're not going to get it right every time.

We're going to get it wrong often, at least I do. But if we can hold onto that thought, oh, let me never forget that though the wrong seems off so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my father's world. The battle is not done.

Jesus who died shall be satisfied in earth and heaven be won. These are things to hang on to. And I really appreciate you calling in and sharing that, that marvelous story of you just acting on pure faith of writing this letter and what a, what an amazing opportunity that was because you know, you never know, where somebody is going to go health-wise and so forth. Yes, ma'am.

Okay. I got saved at the age of 20. I will be 65 in August. And I, I feel like I am in a church now where I feel like I'm being discipled for the first time. When I got saved, I was asked to teach a Sunday school class. And well, then I had a Sunday school class for 20 years. And I, I grew right along with those kids learning about the Bible.

But I mean, as far as essential virtues of personal holiness, I'm, you know, I'm, I'm on board right now. I'm, I'm learning, I guess, better late than never, right? We all, yes, better late than never, but we're all there. And listen, I'm out of time here, Denise. So thank you so much for the call. I do appreciate it very much.

And thanks for sharing that. I'm going to say something very quick to one caller's been on because I really just love this caller. Shirley, we're out of time, but I wanted it, Shirley in Mississippi, who's one of my favorite callers. We're out of time, Shirley, but I knew you knew this hymn. I knew you knew it.

Yes, I do. So listen, I'm sorry. I got all the way to the end here.

We're out of time. Well, thank you very much. And I just wanted to hear your voice and thank you very much for calling and I've got to run here. This is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the caregiver, hopeforthecaregiver.com. Be a part of the show.

We'll see you next time. This is John Butler and I produce Hope for the Caregiver with Peter Rosenberger. Some of you know, the remarkable story of Peter's wife, Gracie. And recently, Peter talked to Gracie about all the wonderful things that have emerged from her difficult journey. Take a listen. Gracie, when you envisioned doing a prosthetic limb outreach, did you ever think that inmates would help you do that?

Not in a million years. When you go to the facility run by CoreCivic and you see the faces of these inmates that are working on prosthetic limbs that you have helped collect from all over the country, that you put out the plea for and they're disassembling. You see all these legs, like what you have, your own prosthetic legs and arms. When you see all this, what does that do to you? Makes me cry because I see the smiles on their faces and I know, I know what it is to be locked someplace where you can't get out without somebody else allowing you to get out.

Of course, being in the hospital so much and so long. And so, these men are so glad that they get to be doing, as one band said, something good finally with my hands. Did you know before you became an amputee that parts of prosthetic limbs could be recycled? No, I had no idea.

You know, I thought of peg leg, I thought of wooden legs, I never thought of titanium and carbon legs and flex feet and sea legs and all that. I never thought about that. As you watch these inmates participate in something like this, knowing that they're helping other people now walk, they're providing the means for these supplies to get over there, what does that do to you, just on a heart level? I wish I could explain to the world what I see in there and I wish that I could be able to go and say, this guy right here, he needs to go to Africa with us. I never not feel that way.

Every time, you know, you always make me have to leave, I don't want to leave them. I feel like I'm at home with them and I feel like that we have a common bond that I would have never expected that only God could put together. Now that you've had an experience with it, what do you think of the faith-based programs that CoreCivic offers? I think they're just absolutely awesome and I think every prison out there should have faith-based programs like this because the return rate of the men that are involved in this particular faith-based program and the other ones like it, but I know about this one, is just an amazingly low rate compared to those who don't have them and I think that that says so much. That doesn't have anything to do with me, it just has something to do with God using somebody broken to help other broken people. If people want to donate a used prosthetic limbs, whether from a loved one who passed away or, you know, somebody who outgrew them, you've donated some of your own for them to do. How do they do that? Where do they find it? Oh, please go to standingwithhope.com slash recycle standingwithhope.com slash recycle. Thanks Gracie.