Answered Prayers

Alice L. Rokahr

Description

When Alice’s sister is diagnosed with inoperable brain tumors, Alice cries out to God—and He always listens, especially when we need strength, love, and support.

Tragedy strikes when Nita is diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumors and given a two-percent chance to survive. In order to be close to her family in her final days, she opts for hospice care at home. Her sister, Alice, prays for strength and the wisdom to carry out her role as one of Nita’s caretakers.

Answered Prayers is about a simple call to the Lord from a humble servant whose call is answered in the most awesome of ways, beyond what Alice could imagine.

This is a moving memoir and tribute to Alice’s late, beloved sister Nita. Alice shares her story of time spent caring for Nita following a medical event that leaves her unable to care for herself. Although this is an emotionally charged memoir, Alice reveals how the experience ultimately brought her closer to God. Her words will comfort others going through similar tragedy. Prayers are always answered in His way, in His timing, and in ways that are best for us.

Sujets

• Christian Living
• Philosophie et théologie
• Jesús de Nazaret
• Jesus
• Prayer
• Religion
• Hospice
• Jésus de Nazareth

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 10 août 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664269101
• Langue: English

Extrait

ANSWERED PRAYERS
A GUIDE TO PRAYER
Alice L. Rokahr


Copyright © 2022 Alice L. Rokahr.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Noted scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
Noted scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6911-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6910-1 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911165
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 8/9/2022
CONTENTS
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MY LITTLE SISTER NITA
MY BACKGROUND
THE VENTEICHER FAMILY
WHO AM I?
DELIVERING THE BAD NEWS, AND WAITING FOR TEST RESULTS
TRYING THE MIRACLE CURE
NITA SHARES HER GRANDKIDS
THE WAIT AND THE SECOND BIOPSY
MY FACEBOOK POSTS
GOING HOME
THE FINAL DAYS IN HOSPICE: THE GOOD AND THE BAD
MY PRAYER WAS ANSWERED
PUTTING LIMITS ON WHAT GOD CAN DO
MY PRAYER FOR THE READER
PREFACE
T he following excerpt is generally adapted from an American Greetings card. It speaks words that if they came from the Lord, it expresses how I feel, and it brings me comfort.
All I’ll ever need is you by my side to hold my hand as we walk through life. To laugh with me when things are easy, and encourage me when times are hard. To reassure me that either way, you will always love me and walk beside me and reassure me that you are all I’ll ever need.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T he only credit for this book can be to the Lord, who is my Savior and Comforter. It is his request that I share my story. His request is the answer to yet another prayer of mine. It is what I refer to as my prayer of Jabez. My only hope is that the reader, at the end of this story, will know more about the love of Jesus and how he so awesomely and fully answered my prayer and will also answer their prayers.
I also want to have this book be an honor to Nita, my dear younger sister, who knew and loved the Lord. She was not afraid of dying as she knew where she would reside. Nita suffered more because she was not sure who was going to fill her shoes to take care of those she loved. Nita’s love for her grandkids was really awesome to witness, and their actions around her in Nita’s final days showed me how much they loved her.
Lastly, I pray that the Mustard Seed Group, whose duty it is to spread the good news of this book, is blessed in their ministry.
MY LITTLE SISTER NITA
I am not really sure how to write this account of what occurred in my life in October through December of 2021. Or perhaps I should say during the whole year. What I do know is that as I have developed a closer walk with my Lord, I have been at peace. This story is about my faith journey and how I prayed a simple prayer to my Savior, asking him to please let me be one of the caregivers for my sister Nita until such time as she went to heaven. Jesus, my amazing and wonderful Lord, answered my prayer, in his time, in his way, and with my best interests at heart. I want you to know that even now—days, weeks, and months later—I am still overjoyed about how my amazing and awesome Lord answered my prayer.
Let me begin my story by telling you how it all started. I received a text on Sunday night, October 24, stating that my younger sister Nita had suffered what they thought was a stroke. She was in the hospital in Wayne, where her doctors were running tests. As I heard the news, I felt really bad for her but there was nothing I could do because I was under quarantine and fighting COVID-19. I could not be around others for fear that I would expose them. Though I was already feeling much better, I had not been cleared by the Department of Health.
Nita was one of my seven sisters, the second-youngest in a family of eleven children. She lived on a farm in rural Randolph, a small town located in Pierce County, Nebraska. Nita was married to Dan, and they have two children—a son, Zach, and a daughter, Katie. Nita was blessed with six grandchildren, three from Zach and three from Katie.
Zach lives on the same family farm. He lives in the big house, while Nita and Dan lived in a converted hog barn just down the hill, about a hundred yards away. The barn/house had been their home for over a dozen years. Zach is married to Nicole, and together they own and operate one of Randolph’s bars, Mrs. Bubba’s. They have three children, twelve-year-old Talyn, nine-year-old Blaklyn, and last—but certainly not least—is their pipsqueak, Eastyn, who is a handful at times. I found her to be a source of pure joy in Nita’s final days. She has a wonderful personality and will keep you guessing as you never know what will come out of her mouth. She has a sassiness and innocence that only a three-year-old can have.
Katie is a schoolteacher in Ansley, Nebraska. This is her first year of teaching at this new school, and she is adjusting well to the new community she now calls home. Katie has three children. The oldest is Hallie, who is twelve and soon to be thirteen. Next is Eli, a shy and reserved red-headed boy of nine. And last, yet again, certainly not least, is Miles, her red-headed little three-year-old. Katie lives with Eric, the boys’ father.
Nita was married to Dan, a retired farmer with multiple sclerosis. Dan’s disease has progressed and his handicap has progressed so that he can no longer drive and is in an automatic wheelchair. Dan receives Medicaid, so Dan and Nita had be very careful about how much money was in their bank accounts and how funds were spent. I think it is fair to say that Dan can be mildly cantankerous at times. However, below that gruff exterior is a man of deep faith and love. He and Nita did not have a perfect marriage by a long shot. They had ups and downs, as many couples do. Yet they remained committed to each other during the forty years of their marriage.
Nita was a sixty-year-old farm wife. She worked at home, doing credit card soliciting and debt collecting for the First National Bank of Omaha. Nita was a bit on the heavy side since she weighed a little over 330 pounds (150 kg). I just can’t make myself call her fat, although I am sure doctors would define her as morbidly obese. Nita was an avid crafter and often made fleece blankets that she sold at local craft shows.
Nita had worked a wide variety of jobs over the years, and some of them had taken tolls on her physically. Various falls or accidents led to numerous surgeries over the years. At the time of what was thought to be a stroke, Nita was waiting to complete the prerequisite testing required for a back surgery. The pain in her leg was getting to the point where it was intolerable, no matter what she did. The back surgery was scheduled for November.
Now that you know who some of the people are in my story, I can pick up where I left off.