We are in the 9th day of Jerry moving from this life to the next with Jehovah Elohim! It's been a miracle, blessing, sorrowful, joyful, laughter, tears, but I have to say there has been no fear. The peace that surpasses all understanding has enveloped this house, those living in it and those coming in for visits. It's very hard to describe in words because The Word has been living here for days and days with us. The Comforter is working overtime with Jerry and all of us.
Today there are family members coming in. Chris is headed to PDX this afternoon for Brian and Ashlee. Tomorrow Dena and Hailey fly in and they have a rental car. Thursday Brian, Ashlee and Hailey fly out. Dena will be staying to be more helping hands. Friday Lisa will pick up Felicia at PDX and come over and then she will take Felicia back to PDX on Sunday. Also Friday Jerri Jean and Doward fly in and they also have a rental car. Eddie can't make it from Iowa. Heather can't make it because she is having some kind of surgery. David can't see him this way after all he went through with mom. Jake has the babies while Hailey is here. Felicia is coming in on Friday and Lisa will pick her up and come over. Jerri Jean and Doward will be here late on Friday and be staying for 6 days. Next week Jerri, Doward, Chris, Lisa and Dena will all be here to help with everything. That is a blessing because I really only think it is a matter of days, not weeks, for Jerry. The hospice nurses will also be popping in and Jeannie is helping out too.
Last week after the hospital pumped him full of IV fluids, 2 pints of blood and got the bleeding ulcer stopped I had thought maybe he would bounce back and get the fractured collarbone healing but God had other plans. Each day since Thursday when we got him home he has become frailer and frailer. He is off almost all of his Rheumatoid Arthritis medication so now the joints are all inflamed. The prednisone is too hard on the stomach so that had always kept the inflammation down but not now. We wait on the Lord every day now. We keep Jerry as comfortable as possible. He is sleeping 95% of the time and he is not moving because moving causes pain, lots of pain everywhere. Fractured collarbone and RA inflammation. He is not eating at all and drinking very little. My husband is slipping away from me and I have to let him go be with Jesus. "catch you later" he said to me one time in the past week. We know we will catch up with each other on the other side, the Lord's new place he had gone and prepared for us. Each one of us who know him and call him king, savior, Lord, friend, God!
Transitions of life are difficult whether it is a new job, marriage, babies, moving, health issues, all of those things that take us out of our comfort zones and into something unknown and different. Sometimes it's fun and exciting. Sometimes it's very scary. I only know that I would not be able to get through all of this with Jerry if the Lord were not with me every second of each day. I know he will be with me through these days and the days ahead after Jerry is not here with me. I cannot fear because when God is with us what do we have to fear? Nothing. Absolutely because he is the God and loves us more than we can ever imagine.
A day has passed since I began writing this chapter. Jerry passed away into the other life, our home with Lord Jesus, September 21st, yesterday morning, at 4 am. Chris and I were with him within minutes of his passing and I heard the last little wisps of air pass from his lungs. It was so peaceful and quiet then I was praising the Lord for his relief from all of the pain he had endured for 50 years with rheumatoid arthritis which caused so many other health conditions.
Now it is time for my own transition in life. Jesus and I will be working on it.
AFTER NOTE: Jerry died at 4 AM on September 21st so all of the plans for family coming to see him were cancelled. Sadly, Dena got here at noon and did not get to see him before he was gone.
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