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Archive for October 20th, 2010

Mom said, “What If I Forget God?”

Mom said, “What If I Forget God?”

Yesterday I cried. I cried about several things. I cried about things that I couldn’t fix. I cried about things no one can fix. (It may not be prudent or wise to share this, but I will.)

Sis. Connie Ballestero

My youngest sister, Nila Marxer, lives in Southern California. She has taken care of my 88-year-old Mother in her home for six years or so. Nila is an Angel sent from God to our family. Mom lives in an apartment inside Nila’s home.

My Mom’s health is not very good anymore. Her short-term memory loss has alarming worsened recently. It makes my phone calls to her, extremely painful for me. Mom has a problem of not remembering even the day of the week.

A few days ago, she wandered out of her room before midnight and went into the main living room. She turned all the lights on. At 2am, Nila came out of her bedroom and found Mom standing there looking around.

She said, “Mom, let me take you to your room and put you to bed.”

When they got to Mom’s room, Mom said, “Is this where I’m staying?”

“Yes, Nila said.

“Oh,” she said, “I didn’t know where I was supposed to sleep.”

That was unwelcome news. It was like one of your worst fears coming true. I am very grateful to Nila for being so loving and patient.

Last night while on a Skype video call to my sister, I got to see her, her husband Eric, and my Mom. Mom was all smiles.

With her voice breaking, Nila talked to me about Mom, with Mom sitting beside her. She talked about health issues that Mom was currently dealing with. Then she said that her and Mom had talked about her memory loss. Mom expressed her greatest fear to Nila.

Mom said, “Nila, what if I forget God?”

That statement ripped my very heart out. Of all people, my Godly Mother who has had the Holy Ghost for 80 years. She labored with Dad in the ministry for over 50 years. And now, she worries that in her memory losses, she might forget about God.

I cried.

Nila said, “Marty, quote the first part of a Psalm and see if Mom can quote the rest of the verse.”

I looked at Mom and Nila seated in front of their computer and I started with Psalms 100.

I said: (Psa. 100:1) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,

Mom said: all ye lands.

I said: (Psa. 100:2) Serve the LORD with gladness:

Mom said: come before his presence with singing.

I said: (Psa. 100:3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

She said: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

I said: (Psa. 100:4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

She said: and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

I said: (Psa. 100:5) For the LORD is good;

She said: his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

My tears still flowed.

In a day when so many are willfully forgetting God, my heart is overwhelmed by the fears of my sainted Mother.

“What If I Forget God?”

Written by Martyn Ballestero

October 20, 2010 at 3:34 pm

Posted in Christian Living, Family, God Head, Grief, Life, Mother

Someone’s Praying For You!

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Someone’s Praying For You!

There are times when you can’t even pray for yourself. Your pain is overwhelming, your faith is low, your friends and family mean well, but you still feel like you are dying on the inside.

It was at a time like that, over 50 years ago, that my parents, Carl and ‘Connie’ Ballestero were going through the darkest point of their life. They had accepted the pastorate a church that had some serious spiritual issues.

Dad was coping with the problems the best he could. They were major. The attacks felt like they were orchestrated by hell itself. It was a spiritual warfare that had soon turned ugly. Dad spent three nights in a row praying into the wee hours of the morning. He kept praying late every night until he felt he eventually prayed the burden through and felt victory. He had desperately needed a miracle from God.

Months later, at the General Conference, Brother Rasnacheck, a missionary from India, came up to my father, and said, Bro. Ballestero, I don’t know what you were going through several months ago, but on “such an such a date “ (He named the dates.) for 3 nights in a row, God gave me a vision of you on your knees, desperately praying. I could see you were in great trouble and in much pain. The Lord told me to pray for you, and I did. I prayed through the night, three different times, until I felt victory. (Those were the very nights my father had been in prayer.)

Dad had not prayed the problem through alone. Even though he thought he was fighting the battle by himself, God had reached down in India, and had given Brother Rasnacheck, the missionary, a vision. The missionary had responded, and the miracle through prayer, was accomplished.

Someone’s Praying For You.

We’re all a product of prayer. The devil seems to enjoy making God’s children feel alone, forsaken, and uncared for. But you are not. He has seen to it that key people are in place to pray for you.

Someone’s Praying For You.

Jesus said to Simon: “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. “ Luke 22:32

Someone’s Praying For You.

Paul the Apostle To The Church In Rome – “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;” Rom 1:9

Someone’s Praying For You.

The Church Prayed For Peter – “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Acts 12:5

Someone’s Praying For You.

Parents Pray For Their Children, and Grandchildren.

Someone’s Praying For You.

Like Samuel, Your Pastor Prays For You: “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 1 Sam 12:23

Another place the Scripture mentions that Samuel prayed all night long for Saul.