For Such a Time as This

This is a bagel bird. You need both pictures to get a full appreciation of the culinary artistry I presented to Mom for breakfast two days ago. I have not mentioned that in the midst of this 3 1/2 weeks I have spent in the frozen icecube of NY state helping my mom recuperate from major surgery, something very exciting has been happening. In fact, I missed posting my blog yesterday because it was morning to evening activity with this exciting development.

A digital media and marketing genius who works for the Empire State Building, for some crazy reason, fell in love with my book, The Tower Builder. She has spent the past month, pro bono, working to get me to Las Vegas for a major book signing. Not only that, but she has engineered book endorsements by some of the most famous engineers in the nation, including the guy at PBS, and the VP of a radio conglomerate who owns WBT. Meanwhile, I am just following her directions, mouth hanging open as the book signing, all expenses paid, is set up at THE broadcasting convention of the year in Vegas. This sort of thing just doesn't happen to me...but it is happening to me.

While caring for my mom, feeding her fun meals, overseeing her therapy (fortunately, I am a certified Occupational Therapist), adapting the house to make it safe, ordering Dad around to do all the errands, doing Mom's exercises with her....I have also been following the ingenious advice of this wonderful lady who is turning me and my book into Cinderella. I have spent hours each day updating the manuscript files, editing, proofing, consulting with my cover artist (thank you Perry, of Perry Elizabeth Designs), adding the high-power endorsements to the cover, and lining up the flights, hotels, book-signing times and dates, and a million other details.

When I lie down at night, and say my prayers, I am speechless with wonder...and fatigue. I feel like Esther of the Bible, a simple nobody who was thrust into the role of queen and then told to save her people. I would never have thought I would have ended up staying a full month in NY to help my folks in sub-zero temperatures the entire time. Who knew my Occupational Therapy background would be called into play again, and of such use twenty years after leaving the field? And on the flip side, I would never have thought I would one day do an all-expense paid book signing in Vegas. Mordecai's words to his niece Esther ring in my ears: "Who knows but that you have been called for such a time as this?"

So, life has been a tad hectic. Still,yesterday, no way was I going to neglect Mom's Culinary Creature breakfast. Despite the hectic day, the fun food could not be ignored since I am convinced that part of Mom's healing is due to my whimsical food art. I sure look forward to how many different animals can be created with bagels and fruit. I hope she does too. Laughter is good medicine.

This is a banana dolphin dancing on cream cheese bagel waves. He has a prune in his mouth because he gets the importance of keeping one's plumbing operational. Then I spent two hours on the phone with Tony, the Tower Builder of my book, to hash out the book signing details and book changes in preparation for the signing. Lunch time arrived in no time.

Meet my grilled cheese and banana cat with a tangerine head. However, the day's wonderful good news was not even the feline lunch... though that was certainly fun. Over the course of the month, we have brainstormed and installed several adaptations for the bath room in hopes that Mom can return to full independence and safety. Honestly, it sure didn't look likely. Each new suggestion I made, Dad followed through by purchasing the necessary requests. Some of our ideas worked and some didn't, so there were many purchases and many returns. Meanwhile, Mom was inching towards the goal. Then, during her morning therapy session yesterday, one more bathroom tweak was installed by the therapist. For the first time since the surgery, Mom was independent and safe in the shower. Yippeee! This was a hard fought victory. The two therapists she saw yesterday concurred. She has made amazing progress. A week ago, it looked like there was no way she would be able to do this.

After a month in this land of the icicles, I don't even remember what warm feels like and there certainly have been many challenges along the way. However, God has been ever-present. Blessings upon blessings have poured down. The miracles unfolding with the Vegas book signing in conjunction with my mom's stupendous recovery should make believers out of anyone. On top of those wonders, maybe my next book is already written: The Recuperative Power of Food Art. 

I am so glad I was here, and privileged to see my mom fight so hard to regain her health, and my dad step in to take on extra duties to keep it all running smoothly. I am grateful I could be available "for such a time as this." Each of us are called each day to rise to the occasion, though the occasion may be less monumental than Esther's saving the entire Jewish population of Persia. Mordecai reminds the reluctant Esther that if she ignored the call, God's plan would still go forward. But if she answered it, she would be blessed in accompanying God on His glorious mission.

I will stay just a day or two more to insure all the changes we have made in diet, exercise, and safety measures have become habits she will continue. And one more miracle: it was fifty degrees here yesterday, fully 70 degrees warmer than the day I arrived. The icicles are melting!!! And my book is almost ready to return to the publisher with all the sparkling changes in preparation for the magical trip to Vegas. I am speechless with wonder that I (and my book!) have been chosen for such a time as this.

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Esther 4:14 

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Isaiah 42:23 

Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come?