Posted on 10/12/2004 5:37:59 PM PDT by followerofchrist
I received a strange call from my neice's Filipino Aunt today. My brother and his family are stationed currently in Okinawa, and my brother has custody of my neice due to the mental illness of her mother. It was a hard, painful transition. My former sister-in-law exhibited very strange behavior due to schitzophrenia and my family pretty much tried to avoid her because of this. That was 8 years ago. My niece hadn't seen her since, but kept in phone contact. Four months ago, my former sister in law called me and wanted my address, to send me a bunch of money from SSI, which I refused. She said she was sending $10,000 to my neice, with no explanation. We thought she was trying to buy her way back into the family. This kind of behavior was not unusual. A few years ago, while my brother was in the hospital after having a stent put into his artery, she called a balled him out for not sending my neice down to visit her. She had been in a mental hospital because she threatened to kill herself, so the bad people wouldn't get her first. She had also once flew to Washington (when my brother was there) and tried to take my neice out of school. Well I returned this strange call, and was informed by my neice's aunt that my former sister in law was dead of cervical cancer at age 42, and that she too has cancer of a different kind. My neice, age 16, had been trying to reach her mom for a few months. I was told she refused her calls, because she was too weak and didn't want to tell her daughter she had cancer. This girl has been through so much. She was looking forward to moving back to California and living with her mom so she could attend college, and take care of her. I feel so bad about the way my family brushed this woman aside, and now she is dead. My neice will be devastated by this news, and the news that her Aunt also has cancer and will possibly die too. It is going to hit her like a ton of bricks and my mom and I are helpless to do anything about it. Please keep Roxanne in your prayers--that she will understand why her mom wouldn't talk to her, and that despite her mental illness, her mom loved her more than anything in this world. Please pray that despite her tragic young life, she will move forward and be happy.
Take care of her, Lord.
God be with your family in your time of great need.
I'll pray for your niece--and for your SIL as well. She's in God's care now.
Prayers for you all. Hand it all over to God, he'll take care of it.
Your family was trying to protect her.
You cannot predict what someone will do when they are desperate and burdened with mental illnes.
I pray for your family.
For Roxanne
In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice.
Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me.
Be thou unto me a God , a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.
For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.
Thou wilt bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for thou art my protector.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth
prayer bump
Prayers on the way for your family, and for the soul of your former sister-in-law.
Sending prayers to Roxanne and your family... that He may ease your pain.
bless her and your family. prayers sent.
What a strange set of circumstances, especially with the Aunt having cancer too (?)
Have you had confirmation that the mother really died? Why were you called and not the your brother the ex husband?
When mental illness like your ex sisterinlaw had, which required her to be institutionalized for her safety - it seems you all did the best you could.
Good luck to all of you!
in Jesus name....Amen
God be with them all.
"A battered reed I will not break, a smoldering wick I will not snuff out"
I will pray for your niece and family tonight.
Prayers up.
I pray that you may feel the peace and strength of God's loving arms around you and your family, followerofchrist, in your time of grief, worry, uncertainty, and in the sorrow over the untimely loss of your sister-in-law. You and yours have had it bad--let go to the Lord. Let go to Him. His arms ARE around you. You and your niece will remain in my prayers.
GOD BE WITH YOUR FAMILY!
Your niece and family are in my prayers.
prayers on their way.
Here is one I wrote a few months ago that might help.
O Lord,
hear our prayer,
and let our cry
come unto thee,
as we grieve
for our losses,
the death of a child,
the death of a spouse,
the loss of a friend,
the loss of a fellow human.
So much pain, Lord,
we pour into your hands -
everyday,
pain from war,
pain from greed,
pain from bad luck,
pain from self-righteousness,
pain from impatience,
pain from indifference.
In our grief,
teach us to love
instead of hate,
teach us to build,
rather than seek revenge,
teach us to heal
instead of rage,
teach us to forgive.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
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