Hello everyone,
I am posting for Dad today. This is Barbara and I have been visiting Mom and Dad for the past week. Joanna has also been here and left yesterday. Hopefully, we have helped Mom this week in her vigilant care for Dad. Also, we have tried to do all that David and Rachel do every day to help Mom and Dad.
Dad remains very happy and positive while being paralyzed by ALS. I would think that he would get discouraged or angry or upset at his condition or limitations, but he continues to be joyful and thankful and to see the greatness in everything in his very small world. He wrote the prayer just a few days ago and has sent me and others encouraging emails that express his joy in life.
His memory fades about some facts and events that have occurred in his life. This is sad for Mom and for all of us. It is sad for him, too, because thinking about yesterday, today, and the future is all that he can do. It is absolutely wonderful that he has this computer Tobi communication tool. I can still converse with him and "hear" what he is thinking. This would be almost impossible without this amazing technology because reading his lips becomes increasingly difficult. We need to figure out a way for him to blog using his Tobi computer. Right now, that is not possible and I am not enough of a computer person to even try to figure out how that could be accomplished.
I know that not everyone has had a wonderful father, but I have. To me, Dad is the earthly representative of God the Father here on earth. His unconditional love, his complete forgiveness, his servanthood, his humility, his endurance, his patience have always been the example of Jesus in a man here on earth. I have lived an unbelievably privileged life following in the footsteps of my earthly father. He has never led me anywhere except to the foot of my Heavenly Father. What a wonderful place to be!
In the footsteps of my father,
Barbara Boersma Keller
3 comments:
Dear Dr. & Mrs. Boersma,
Warm greetings from Malawi. The Spencer clan is doing well. David, our oldest, is at Covenant College on a golf scholarship and enjoying university life. Actually he has a cute little girlfriend too and I think he may be enjoying college a little too much!
Marion and the other six are all well. We are enjoying Malawi and count it a privilege to be out here for 19 years. In fact, we just learned that Marion is expecting number 8! I keep muttering the word "WOW."
I wanted to write and say how much I appreciated Dr. Boersma's recent blog. You are commended for your courage and faith. We showed it to our children so they could see what a real believer looks like. Thank you for your genuine dependency and committment to the Lord Jesus. You have encouraged me so much.
This morning I read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 to my children. Paul is talking about running the race of the Christian life. In the passage he mentions that we are running to obtain a crown that is everlasting....eternal life! I thought of you and your faith during these difficult days. Thank you for continuing to RUN towards the finish line. Thank you for believing and trusting that there is so much more on the other side of the finish line.
I just wanted you to know that you guys have ministered to me and my family. We are praying for you to stay strong and very courageous!
In His Grip,
Steve and Marion
Barbara, What a blessing to have such Godly parents and what a different world we would live in if all dads were like Doctor Dale and all moms were like Miss Helen! Both have a passion for the truth as demonstrated to us through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. Both want to mirror His service and His righteousness. I pray several times a day for HIS grace to cope with this evil called ALS.
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