Sometimes He Lets It Rain

My mother-in-law passed away in September from breast cancer.  (Please make sure you or your loved ones get their mammograms.)  Four days after her funeral, my dad had a surgery to place a feeding tube in his stomach due to swallowing problems from Parkinson's Disease.  He was supposed to come home that day, but instead stayed in the hospital and then went to a rehabilitation center.  Last week, the occasional pain in his intestinal area became severe and he was rushed to the hospital.  They discovered a small bowel obstruction.

Because my dad is 84 years old and his Parkinson's Disease has gotten worse, he made a prayerful decision to decline surgery to fix the bowel obstruction.  Perhaps he would have died during surgery.  The morning after hearing him state his decision, I was still in tears--and wishing he could live for many years.  However, a bowel obstruction is fatal if no surgery is performed to fix it.  I decided it would help me to go to a song practice that I attend weekly with a group of my friends.  Usually I sing along, but this time I just cried and listened to the words of this song by Tyler Castleton and Staci Peters as my friends sang it:

She sees the storm clouds gather
The sky is turning cold and gray
She knows that something's coming
When she starts to feel this way

She pleads for intervention
But heaven offers no relief
And she would understand
If she could only see, that...

Sometimes He lets it rain
He lets the fierce winds blow
Sometimes it takes a storm
To lead a heart where it can grow

He can move mountains of grief
And oceans of pain--
But sometimes He lets it rain

And when her heart surrenders
To the Master in control
Her spirit learns the lessons
Of the tempest in her soul

When it's no longer raging
She can see how far she's come
Through the wisdom and
The mercy of the Son

Sometimes He lets it rain
He lets the fierce winds blow
Sometimes it takes a storm
To lead a heart where it can grow

He can move mountains of grief
And oceans of pain--
But sometimes He lets it rain.

Each of my friends gave me a big hug, and I left the song practice to visit my dad in the hospital.  I had renewed strength and hope through the words of this song and the kindness of my wonderful friends.  I hope these words will help you sometime when you are going through a hard time.  My dad is home now...with help and attention from each of his children and Hospice.  He is taking in very little water and is unable to have his liquid food through his feeding tube because of the bowel obstruction.  He is terribly thin and weak, but we are learning so much from his patient attitude.  He has offered amazing advice to his children and grandchildren.  We are cherishing every moment we have left with him.