As primary care for my parents as their lives came to an end, I found that they resented many of the decisions I had to make. I strived to remember that they were not well and that they struggled with our role reversal.
It occurred to me that the Good Samaritan in Luke 6 might have had the same trouble.
He took pity on the poor man when others didn’t; he paid his way to wellness, but he didn’t stick around to see the outcome.
The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Luke 6:35, NIV)
Of course, he might have had a pressing engagement somewhere else. Or he might just have had an unwilling, ungrateful patient.
How do we love the ungrateful or for that matter, someone we feel obligated to care for?
We do the best we can and if we are not able to be there, we help pay for the care that they need.
Prayer – Father, when caregivers are giving all they can, may the rest of us help in any practical way that we should, including financial. Amen
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