This Magic Moment

And he vanished from their sight.  – Luke 24:31(NRSVCE)

Our youngest son, Trevor, entered the world when I was forty-three. Creative, talkative, and strong-willed, he brought much delight to my parents in their later years. When Trevor was three, Mom nicknamed him “The White Tornado” from the way his platinum-blonde, bowl haircut whirled about as he raced through their house.

Trevor was age eight when Dad died, and the grief he suffered at the loss of his beloved grandfather continues to this day. The year prior, Trevor had started teaching himself card tricks, eventually advancing to simple illusion-type magic tricks.

Always eager for a new audience, Trevor practiced his magic acts on Mom in her last days and on the hospice staff that came to the house. The nurse manager especially enjoyed his antics, and she dubbed him “The Great Trevini.”

After every trick, Trevor would ask, “Do you know how I did it?” Despite his delight at presenting magic, he also enjoyed divulging the method behind the trick. What’s harder to explain in words is the magical effect that his moments of fun brought to a home where Alzheimer’s was ravaging a loved one’s body and brain.

Dear Lord, thank you for Your mysterious ways, such as how you returned to heaven through the clouds. Thank you, also, for the mystery of the way child’s play can bring comfort to those around him.  

Reflect: Is there a child you know whose young spirit can bring a fresh moment to you and your loved one? Pray about having that young person stop by to visit.

The above selection is Entry #42 in Part IV: Summer Daze of Minding Mom: A Caregiver’s Devotional Story by Lisa Livezey (© 2024, En Route Books and Media)

Minding Mom: A Caregiver’s Devotional Story by Lisa Livezey | En Route Books and Media

Featured Image: The Great Trevini (photo:Lisa Livezey)