I was out at my Father's town (about 8 hours drive West of Calgary) - Kelowna, B.C. - over the winter break, from December 25th to January 3rd 2011/2012.
He had a minor stroke about December 5th. He's still in the hospital, but doing overall quite well.
He has use of both arms and hands, his face and speech is back to normal. He can feed himself. His mind .... well some things he retains from day today and other things he forgets within a few days. He's been having "short term" memory troubles for the last few years - his long term memory is still very good, and remembers things way back before being a teenager. He has fun with the nurses and has a good sense of humor.
The "physical therapy" people are in 5 days a week to work on getting him to walk again. And there is a good chance he will walk with his "walker" down the road.
He will have to go into a 24/7 care facility now, to spend the rest of his life. So I was busy clearing out his apartment, and going through everything that is of a personal family nature, which I now have with me here in Calgary.
As an only child, with all of my Mother's family now sleeping in death, and all of my Father's also. When my Dad dies it is the end of a certain line of the "Hunt" name. I do have 5 children and so far 8 grand-children. But it will be sad to see my Father sleep in death; yet he may live for a number of years; I hope he does. A few years back I was pretty confident he could live to see his 100th birthday. He has done very well indeed to reach nearly 92. A good diet, exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements, all his life, has brought him to this age. Although he did put on weight after reaching age 50, about 35 pounds too much. So if he had stayed trim he may well have not had this even minor stroke.
The nurses and hospital are looking after him very well. He has his "walkman" cassette player and head-phones and listens to his music he has listened to for decades past.
I did get "power of attorney" and so can look after his bank account and the few bills he will have from now on out.
I pray it will be some years yet before I have to take the trip back to Wales to deposit the ashes of my Mother and Father at their already in place "gravesite" in the little village of Crynant in South Wales.
I still have a very soft spot in my heart for Wales. It is called the land of song. All Welshmen sing, but most in the Welsh language. But me ... well I'm a Cowboy Welshman - singing and yodeling cowboy songs. There is this Welsh song that still brings a lump to my throat, part of the words go: "We'll keep a welcome in the hillside, we'll keep a welcome in the dale; this land of song will still be singing, when you come home again to Wales......"
So when I must go back again to Wales it will be bitter sweet..... back to my little Welsh village of Crynant and my folks gravesite. Back to where it all started for me.
You can see photos of my Mother and Father and me on my "Facebook" - the best way to go there is from my website (keithhunt.com).
I owe a great debt to my parents for sending me to a Church of England school for all my grade 1 to 12 years. The first half hour each school day was in Bible reading and memorizing. No "doctrine" being taught as such, and so it gave me a none biased view of the Bible. As I see it now, the Eternal God was even then preparing me for what He had in mind as to what I would do for Him in the future, which I had no idea about and certainly I did not plan, for I had much different thoughts as to what I wanted to do in my adult life. One of my favorite subjects in school was "writing" or "composing" as part of our English class consisted of. The art of writing about the truths of God, the many Bible topics, is to be able to "communicate" it in a way that reaches people, that really makes it understandable and connects with them in a clear and one, two, three, logical way. I never was big on "fancy" words, just simple very plain language that even children of grade 3 and 4 could read and get the message. I was also given a very "logical thinking mind" and a mind that could sit for hours studying and putting Bible passages together. And with that also came a mind that could remember passages and verses all over the Bible. Not a photographic mind, but a fine mind to remember all key passages in most books of the Bible, especially the New Testament.
Like I said, I had no idea, none at all, as to how God would use what He had given me, for His work in my adult future. I loved the Lord and loved His Bible, but I sure did not set my mind to one day be one of His servants in the ministry of the Gospel.
I have been blessed with the parents I was given. I was blessed from them in making my childhood most enjoyable .... not spoilt as an only child, but taught to be responsible and kind and to respect adults and the elderly. When I look back on it all now, my oh my what a wonderful childhood I had; having things I loved to have; doing things I loved to do; and having adults in my life that were great teachers of the good side of human nature. And it all led to me accepting Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior .... well about the age of 10 I would say.
I have tried from that age on and so to this day, to love God's word, love truth, love finding truth, love being corrected, and just love learning period! Ever learning, which makes life so exciting, and never boring. I have been blessed to have learnt the trade of Orthopedic Shoemaking and Orthotics and helped countless people with foot problems over the years. I have been blessed to have learnt to play the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and teach other as I'm still doing today. I have been blessed to have loved and worked with horses - breaking and training - in my lifetime, as I still do today. I have been blessed at age 62 (7 years ago now) to be granted my childhood dream horse - my wonderful beautiful golden Palomino, "Final Touch" (Goldie I call her) which in my physical life is a final touch I guess.
Most of all I've been blessed to teach God's truths, and now today with the Internet and etc. - around the world. I'm blessed to know some faithful saints, who are zealous to spread the truths of the Eternal God around this earth. I'm blessed to know that many of you near and far use my website, blog, and now my video sermons on Youtube.
God's truth is marching on and more people are being called to be the saints of God and prepared for the first resurrection, to rule and to teach the nations of this earth in the age to come.
And what a GLORIOUS AGE that will be! And so we pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"!!
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