Prayer Request

[Accountable]

Normally I really like the FG home page for it's wide broadcast of new threads. This thread, though is quite personal, and I feel kind of uneasy with that kind of exposure, so I am placing a few lines of drivel to push the important stuff below the oh-so-public section.



For those with prayer lists, believe in the power of prayer, etc. I have a request.



My sister is asking for your prayers. She is a divorced mom of a 22-year-old severely mentally challenged daughter. She has moved. She was living with our alcoholic brother and her older daughter (24) who had become too dependent on her to take care of the grandkids. Everybody in the family thinks this was a good idea, except maybe the older daughter .



She moved back to our tiny home town in Louisiana, and had incredible luck early on. Our eldest sister still lives there and made some calls. A friend of a friend just happened to have a rental unit newly vacant. I didn't even know there was a market for rentals in a town of 2000! The prior tenants left their living room set. The landlord had just bought a new living room set and had not yet donated the old one to charity as planned. Another neighbor claimed to be tired of her adult kids moving in and out at their whim, and said she didn't need this old bedroom furniture any more. Sheets, curtains, dishes, even a little artwork for the walls, all materialized as if from thin air. It was all very touching and a bit overwhelming.



Despite this wondrously great start, there is still need. North Carolina has a program (I'm sketchy on details so bear with me) in which the gov't actually paid her a salary to be caretaker for her own child. Some kind of program authorized 24-hour care, and the gov't saved a bundle by paying her to do the job and send occassional professional help.

Louisiana has no such program, or at least not yet. She is trying to convince them of the tax savings over providing 24-hour professional care and forcing her to find work outside the house to pay the bills. She used to drive a cattle truck but has medical problems that prevent that now. The husband may as well be vapor; no one's seen him for years.



I feel uneasy as hell clicking the submit button with all this dirty laundry, but she asked me for prayer and gave me permission.

[minks]

Accountable wrote: Normally I really like the FG home page for it's wide broadcast of new threads. This thread, though is quite personal, and I feel kind of uneasy with that kind of exposure, so I am placing a few lines of drivel to push the important stuff below the oh-so-public section.



For those with prayer lists, believe in the power of prayer, etc. I have a request.



My sister is asking for your prayers. She is a divorced mom of a 22-year-old severely mentally challenged daughter. She has moved. She was living with our alcoholic brother and her older daughter (24) who had become too dependent on her to take care of the grandkids. Everybody in the family thinks this was a good idea, except maybe the older daughter .



She moved back to our tiny home town in Louisiana, and had incredible luck early on. Our eldest sister still lives there and made some calls. A friend of a friend just happened to have a rental unit newly vacant. I didn't even know there was a market for rentals in a town of 2000! The prior tenants left their living room set. The landlord had just bought a new living room set and had not yet donated the old one to charity as planned. Another neighbor claimed to be tired of her adult kids moving in and out at their whim, and said she didn't need this old bedroom furniture any more. Sheets, curtains, dishes, even a little artwork for the walls, all materialized as if from thin air. It was all very touching and a bit overwhelming.



Despite this wondrously great start, there is still need. North Carolina has a program (I'm sketchy on details so bear with me) in which the gov't actually paid her a salary to be caretaker for her own child. Some kind of program authorized 24-hour care, and the gov't saved a bundle by paying her to do the job and send occassional professional help.

Louisiana has no such program, or at least not yet. She is trying to convince them of the tax savings over providing 24-hour professional care and forcing her to find work outside the house to pay the bills. She used to drive a cattle truck but has medical problems that prevent that now. The husband may as well be vapor; no one's seen him for years.



I feel uneasy as hell clicking the submit button with all this dirty laundry, but she asked me for prayer and gave me permission.


My thoughts are with you and your family and as others show up ACC I am sure you will find the same.

Know that we are all here in support of one and another in any way we can be.

[theia]

minks wrote: My thoughts are with you and your family and as others show up ACC I am sure you will find the same.

Know that we are all here in support of one and another in any way we can be.


I can't say it better than minks and I second what she said, acc, wholeheartedly

[Accountable]

flopstock wrote: Know what i do? when i get on here and go looking for your posts, first guy i come to, i scan to the bottom of it, 'cause i really like the quote there.



So today i see the words 'dirty laundry' and think 'oohlala, AC has done something bad and we're getting the dirt, first'. figured that you thought you were a dead man and wanted help.....



Where is it? Where's the dirt sweetie?



All I'm seeing is a man who loves his sister. And a sister who loves her daughter and maybe could use a break for a change. A sister who perhaps has a couple of friends in her new/old town that she didn't realize she had. And although I don't do prayer darlin, know that I respect her for the choices she has made and the strenght of character that keeps her hanging in there. She is a better person then I am.





On a side note here AC....you should be embarrassed! Would you like a list of the posts that should have made you feel uneasy hitting the 'submit' button? As opposed to this one? Or maybe i could send them to your sister....:sneaky:
Thanks, dear. I get the feeling you can relate that crap happens so often, that sometimes good events are embarrassing, deserved or not.



Those posts you refer to were in jest. It's tough to open up with factuals, as you well know, Miss My-Name's-Hidden-in-My-Name!:sneaky:

[telaquapacky]

Alamo. Nothing to be ashamed of. I prayed for the situation on my screen. No doubt the turmoil in our lives results from our own unfortunate choices, something your sister has in common with so many of us. There is a false belief called Pelagianism that if we make the right choices we will become better at following God, and in turn make more right choices. Sounds good but it's rank heresy. The fact is that we all make bad choices because much as we wish it weren't so, we are still under the influence of sin. My own unfortunate past choices even now sometimes undermine my own faith, as I doubt God will show mercy to one so undeserving as me. But I was greatly encouraged in my faith recently when I read somewhere that if we have faith in God, we may still make bad choices (I'm not talking about persisting in rank sin and disobedience- we should be gradually overcoming that) but God can even turn our bad choices into good outcomes. God is so good and merciful. He's already given a token of restoration in that windfall of furniture. May He continue to bless your family!

[actionfigurestepho]

I will add your family to my thoughts and prayers.

This might be a ludicrously obvious and personal question, but what about social security disability for your sister since she is unable to work? Is she on it, has it been considered? If not, I would find out all I could about the program.

[Accountable]

I know she's working with SS about benefits with her daughter. She's very savvy about government programs. State programs seem to be more comprehensive, depending on which state. Louisiana's po' folk.

[telaquapacky]

It's worse than you think, Floppy. The judgmental "born agains" you're talking about feel their political power nowadays. It won't be long before not only will they be judging our choices, they will be trying to make our choices for us.

But 90% may be too high an estimate. There still are a fair number of decent people among professed Christians.

[pina]

Your sister and family have got my prayers ACC.

In time things should work out for them.

[chonsigirl]

I shall remember your sister and family in my prayers. Sometimes the hardest of times will bring the most remarkable answers through prayer.

[Clint]

I will be joining the others here who are praying for your sister and family.

There is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. We all have situations in our families we would rather not talk about. The highest priority is to get help and prayer seeks it from the unlimited source.

[nvalleyvee]

You know what AC - I'm not a very religious person. I have a great belief in other people's belief. Don't feel bad. When people ask me for prayer - I put them in my "thoughts for the day club" because I do believe my good thoughts (karma) go to everyone I include

[Accountable]

Clint wrote: I will be joining the others here who are praying for your sister and family.



There is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. We all have situations in our families we would rather not talk about. The highest priority is to get help and prayer seeks it from the unlimited source.
Thanks Clint and everyone who is offering prayer, both public and private. I really must say that shame is not an accurate word. I am simply a private person. We take care of our own, circle the wagons, all that. Our family business is an onion - as in it's an onion your business. It's uncomfortable to resist that old habit, that's all. I definitely had a Jerry Springer moment 1/2 second before posting this. I knew the vast majority would see this message in the spirit it was sent, and I was right. I knew that very few would show their "true colors" (I use that term to be kind), and I overestimated slightly. I feared that it would slide into some undefined Springer episode, as I've seen a few times. I was thankfully wrong.

[mominiowa]

:-6 I will be thinking of all of you....including you- When your family suffers - so do you......I hope blessings will be knocking at her door soon....:-4

[Accountable]

An update for anybody still concerned. I chatted with her today. As much as possible is copied directly from that.



My sister is working the system. “i am doing the waiting game. She [her daughter] is in the system, medicaide is in place, SSI is taken care of $*** a month. she is in the state system for services so the referrals have been made........now we wait until they contact me.



“i have spoken to a lawyer about what is necessary for me to do about the legal issues with [daughter’s name deleted]. the guardianship [necessary because she is over 18] does not travel across state lines. he lined it out for me. it will only cost […], so i am working on finding a way to do this without a lawyer. i did it myself in NC.



“i am going Monday to apply for food stamps, spoke with GMAC and I have 10 days grace on the car note. they will not repo until i am 90 days behind so that will ride.”



I asked her to read the thread before giving me permission to update (actually I asked her to post herself but she declined – maybe later). Her response:



“it took me from tears to chuckles. i have never seen a prayer request turn into politics before. Lol

tell them thank you for their thoughts, prayers, and energy.

oh. and that i am not a holy roller. Lol”



And life goes on. Thank you, friends.

[lady cop]

all the best for your sister ACC! :-6

[Clint]

Accountable wrote: Thanks Clint and everyone who is offering prayer, both public and private. I really must say that shame is not an accurate word. I am simply a private person. We take care of our own, circle the wagons, all that. Our family business is an onion - as in it's an onion your business. It's uncomfortable to resist that old habit, that's all. I definitely had a Jerry Springer moment 1/2 second before posting this. I knew the vast majority would see this message in the spirit it was sent, and I was right. I knew that very few would show their "true colors" (I use that term to be kind), and I overestimated slightly. I feared that it would slide into some undefined Springer episode, as I've seen a few times. I was thankfully wrong.
Sorry for the mischaracterization. I’m glad you see it for what it is. I guess I was looking through my own weakness when I said that.

I will continue to pray.