God, Mom, Alzheimer's, and Me ©

Indestructible Joy

At the age of eighty, my mom became unable to care for herself in her own home, and so she moved into my house.  I was ill equipped emotionally to cope with Mama's dependence on me.  Many days I was grouchy or resentful acting, and sometimes I was downright rude.  Most of the time though, Mom was unperturbed by my immature behavior. Pages from her journal revealed the reason for her peace of mind and heart. She wrote of her love for the Lord and of her certainty of His great love for her. Her faith in God provided her a confidence that a grouchy caregiver could not touch; she knew her Savior, and she knew of His love.

Application:  When people are less than kind, look to your Savior's love. His presence in your heart assures you that you are safe in his arms.  

Suggested hymn:  I Know Whom I Have Believed (Words: Daniel W. Whittle, 1883.  Music: James McGranahan).  

Scripture:  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).  

Music transcends language and speaks directly to the heart, and so I have suggested a praise song or a hymn to be used with each devotion.  The Cyber Hymnal ^TM (available online at http://www.hymntime.com) is a wonderful resource for hymns that are in the public domain, and was my source for the composer and lyricist information that I’ve cited with each hymn suggestion.  The link above will take you directly to the Cyberhymnal site for the hymn "I Know Whom I Have Believed."  Sincere thanks go to the folks at Cyberhymnal for their service to the Lord. 

Suggested use: 

--Depending on your patient's level of cognitive functioning you may choose either read the devotion aloud or to copy and paste into a word processing document for independent use. If your patient uses a computer please be sensitive to the titles and contents of this web site (ie, "dementia patients") that might be offensive to someone who is not aware that they are suffering from dementia.   

 Click here for more devotions for those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.