WATCHWORD:
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
Meditation:
Alzheimer’s and the Invisible God
I started this meditation after I was given a story about a loved one who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. The loved one was 62, and she had passed away just three years later. It is a sad and often repeated story, but one of love and the strength of a care-giver.
I don’t think anyone can research this topic without wondering if any of these symptoms are showing up in their own everyday life. Alzheimer’s is such a cruel disease, taking away common thought processes, behavior, and memory.
I have trouble remembering names, is that a sign? There are times when I can’t recall a word that is right there on the tip of my tongue. Is that a sign? I can’t recall a movie I saw 5 years ago. Is that a sign? The cute thing that your son did when he was 5, yet now, 40 years later, you can’t recall. Is that a sign? Yes, and no to all these, each attributable to aging, which is normal, and is not a sign of a disease, unless of course, you consider aging a disease. In which case, may want to consult with the good Lord.
And on that topic of the Lord helping you is where I would like to begin this. Throughout the writings of apostle Peter, we can sense his wonder at His relationship with the Lord. He had seen Jesus with his own eyes, but he was writing to those who had not seen Jesus.”Though you have not seen him…you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
As we read this we realize that we love Jesus not because we are commanded to, but because with the help of the holy spirit, that dwells within us, we begin to see how much He loves us.
In a recent Our Daily Bread there is a story about a woman in her final years, impacted by the ravages of Alzheimer’s, and in her fading lucid moments was able to pen the following poetry:
Here I am in my favorite chair,
My feet on the sill,
And my heart in the air.
The sun-struck waves on the water below,
In constant motion – to where I don’t know.
But thank you – dear Father above –
for Your innumerable gifts and Your undying love!
It always amazes me – How can it be?
That I’m so in love with One I can’t see.
In that meditation, Mark DeHaan writes: “It’s more than hearing that He cares for people like us. It’s experiencing for ourselves the promise of Christ to make the wonder of His unseen presence and Spirit real to us at every stage of life.”
Jesus is the ultimate source of our hope even in the face of seemingly inescapable disasters, such as Alzheimer’s. He is the ultimate demonstration of God’s goodness and faithfulness. We may not see a way out, but He does. God makes the inexpressible real to us. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
This is Flag Day. What is the meaning of it? The handy dandy Wikipedia tells us that Flag Day is celebrated on this day. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.
Closing Prayer:
God of all comfort, our very present help in trouble, be near to those who are suffering illnesses and those who provide care. Look on us with the eyes of your mercy; comfort us with a sense of your presence; preserve us from the enemy; and give us patience in affliction. Restore us to health, and lead us to your eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
