God's Hand In Everything

As I write this Mom/Grandma along with Linda are preparing for the flight home to
Kelowna. The weather here is clear and cold but Linda checking on the internet says there may be delays at Kelowna airport, hopefully that will not hold Mom up as I know she is anxious to get home. Although no one could have planned or predicted the circumstances that brought her to Saskatoon and her subsequent hospitalizatiion there have been some positives or perhaps you could even call them blessings.
Darrel and Rhonda and their families and Louise and I and our family have all had the opportunity to have some special times with Mom even through the sickness.
Tim's girlfriend Karla returned from Hawaii yesterday and last night had the opportunity to have a meal and meet the "special Grandmother" that Tim had told her about.
One of the most meaningful and cherished times for Louise and I was the opportunity to have devotions and pray with Mom each night. She is truly a lady of prayer and told me she prays for children, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren every day. She has also, although she doesn't call it that, established a ministry at Mission Woods where she prays for the residents and is often sought after for advice.
One of the special devotional times was Tuesday, January 11th when we read from Our Daily Bread a devotional called "Why Not Now". It talked about God's purpose in leaving us behind on earth with work to be done that can only be accomplished on earth. In Mom's case her work on earth is prayer and her absence would certainly create a void.
There was also another, I guess I call it a minor miracle. While Mom was in hospital the sixth floor of St Paul's Hospital had to be closed down due to an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus. After Mom left the virus spread to the fifth floor and now the entire hospital is closed to visitors. Had Mom remained in the hospital even a day or two more, we may not have got the visiting time with her that we got at the Sheridan Hotel.
So we thank God for Mom, for God's hand in bringing her through the sickness and pray for a safe arrival for her back at her home in Kelowna where her ministry of prayer can continue.