One of the greatest miracles is the one of forgiveness. To be forgiven is one thing, but to be given the strength to be able to forgive carries an indescribable power. This story submitted by an anonymous reader shows a perfect example of that sweet power. Name has been changed due to privacy.
Our Heavenly Father Loves each one of us. This I know because I had the most wonderful experience of His tender mercy recently.
My mother-in-law, Sofie, and I have never had a good relationship. We have tolerated each other for 28 years. Every time I saw her she would make sure to let me know at least one thing she didn’t like about me, such as being close to my children, mom, and siblings, the movies I watched, or how I acted. More than once she referred to my family as pagans.
On one occasion while my mother and father-in-law were visiting I went for an early morning hike, like I did every Saturday. When I returned she told me I was a wife and needed to be home with my husband, making him breakfast and giving him attention instead of out hiking. When he was home, I was to be home with him. She had lots of advice on how I could be a better wife. She even gave me a book about how to be a GOOD wife. I was often reminded that men don’t like fat women.
In November 2018, Sofie was recovering from heart surgery when she fell out of bed and broke a vertebra in her neck. After that her health started failing quickly. My husband and I traveled to visit his parents. We were surprised by how weak she was.
Our second night in there she asked her daughter to give her a bath. Sofie ached and wanted to soak in the tub. Her daughter said she would put a seat in the bath tub, so my mother-in-law could shower but didn’t feel comfortable bathing her. Showering was difficult for Sofie to do because she did not have the strength to wash her hair nor her feet. Sofie asked her husband, who is blind, to give her a bath. He said he couldn’t because of his eye sight. When Sofie looked at me and asked if I would give her a bath, I was taken by surprise. Something overcame me and I answered, “Of course, after dinner.”
I had never given an adult a bath. Often, I worried if I would be able to give my mother a bath if the time ever came. I went into the other room and prayed. I asked Heavenly Father to help me. Why did I say yes? I don’t know if I could do this. If this was a child, I would not have a problem giving her a bath. I heard just as clear as if Heavenly Father was next to me, “Treat her as a child. Think of her as a child.”
After dinner I got the tub ready, took her into the bathroom to give her a bath. This woman is so tiny and frail, she seemed like a helpless child. In that moment I could feel the great love Heavenly Father had for her. I got her in the tub easily. She asked me not to leave her, so I kneeled next to the tub and rubbed her feet and legs. At one-point Sofie had to sit up because she was having difficulty breathing. As she sat there I massaged her back. The whole time I could feel Gods love for her. She moaned with relief as I massaged her neck and back. She sighed in gratitude as I shampooed her hair.
This situation was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, because she was like a child, just as Heavenly Father said. This opportunity gave me comfort to know that if my mom ever needed help like this, I would be able to care for her.
After I bathed her I found getting her out of the tub to be quite challenging. She was slippery and so relaxed and weak she could not get her feet under her. I sat her back down and got a towel around her and then lifted her. It worked! I almost called out for help, but I could still feel Gods care for her, I somehow knew she would be fine.
I covered her dry skin with lotion, dressed her, and gave her a pedicure. She asked me to comb her hair because she wanted to look nice for her sons.
We sat in the living room where she looked at her sons with a smile. She looked over at me and said, “Oh, my angel,” and squeezed my hand.
Since she has dementia, I didn’t know if she knew who I was. It didn’t matter because the room was so full of Heavenly Fathers love.
In serving her, I never felt annoyed towards her. Actually, I felt love and forgiveness for this woman who had never been very nice to me.
Since that day my testimony has grown of that Heavenly Father really loves all of us. Jesus’ Atonement is real. It helped me forgive Sofie for all the hurt and insecurities she has caused me. Heavenly Father helped me love her.
God loves us all! We are his Children!
