Yep, what goes up, typically must go back down. When this happens on a roller-coaster it can be lots of fun, but when it’s your emotions going haywire, it’s not.
Gary and I had enjoyed our first night as empty-nesters after getting Jeffrey all settled in his dorm room the day before (Well, Let’s Get Started!). We woke up and had time to actually laze around a bit before heading to the college to attend the orientation and finish up Jeffrey’s room.
It was so strange thinking of Jeffrey living on his own!
We met Jeffrey at the college, and then he headed off with his tour group, with hardly turning his head to give us a good-bye! He seemed totally unafraid and so happy. Of course I started to fret once again – as only a mommy usually can do. Would the students treat him okay?
Gary finally had to literally almost pull me away from watching the group depart – we needed to head to the parent orientation.
When we met Jeffrey again after the orientation, they were having different club sign-ups going on, and again Jeffrey just took off, stating he wanted to look into joining the Business Club. I kind of felt like I should tag along (just in case), but I knew in my heart that it was time to let him go. The Lord had His hands upon him, that was certain, and Jeffrey needed to learn how to get along without us, which had been his dream for a long, long time (hmmm … that’s good, right?).
Gary and I headed to Jeffrey’s dorm to get a few more things unpacked, and that’s when the roller-coaster came crashing down.
My cell phone rang, and it turned out to be the supervisor at the nursing company which we’d hired to take care of Jeffrey. This lady started screaming at me on the phone about the whole key-issue at the campus (Well, Let’s Get Started!). She informed me that their caregiver had to park a long distance from the dorm, and that meant she had to walk in the dark for quite some distance to get the key from security before heading to his actual room.
To make matters worse, the college was now evidently making them sign paperwork stating what their responsibilities were to be when on-campus.
“We simply cannot work with the college; the college is being unreasonable! Their organization had NEVER had to sign such paperwork EVER with ANY facility in the past, and they were NOT ABOUT TO DO SO NOW!”
I started falling apart: “Does this mean you’re not going to be able to take care of my son?”
Her reply: “I don’t know…”
I hung up the phone, and by then I was a total basket-case. Was everything going to fall apart at the last minute? Were we going to have to pack back up all of Jeffrey’s stuff and head back home with him, dashing his dreams?
Yet Gary remained constant: “Don’t worry, it will all work out.”
Jeffrey was back in the dorm by that time, so he and Gary headed up to administration. I couldn’t go, I was an emotional mess.
I stood in Jeffrey’s room, continuing on with my emotional hole-digging. Then suddenly I screamed to myself, NO – I mustn’t let the enemy get a foothold!
I saw Jeffrey’s Bible, and grabbed it. I was unable to concentrate on actually opening it, but I laid my hands on it, and just started crying out to God: Lord, You promised to provide for our needs, so I must trust that You’ll come through as this DEFINITELY is a need! (See Phil. 4:19.)
On and on I wept and prayed, and finally I calmed down enough to finish putting a few things away. Then I looked at my watch – where were Gary and Jeffrey? They’d been gone a long time!
As much as I didn’t want to leave the security of the dorm room, finally I checked myself in the mirror (whoa, that wasn’t a good idea), and started walking up to administration. I found them in the disability director’s office – and Gary was smiling!
The Lord had once again worked everything out with the nursing facility, and Jeffrey was again all set to go with his care.
Wow, Lord, forgive my lack of faith…
We all headed back to Jeffrey’s dorm, and Gary and I said our good-byes for the day. Tomorrow morning we had just a few more things to take care of for Jeffrey, and then Gary and I were going to start driving home – first taking a short vacation, of course!
But remember how I said what goes up, typically comes back down? Stay tuned!
The God Of All Comfort 