He said to me, ”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Cor. 12:9 (NIV)
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!‘ Matt. 25:4 (NLT)
Dear heavenly Father, increasingly, I’ve been running into friends early in the journey of learning how to care for a loved one with a memory loss disorder. Having walked that path with my dad, my heart is softened and tuned to pray today for others, someplace in that story.
“Can a woman forget her nursing child?” (Isa. 49:15); maybe not at birth, but later in life, she can, even as my dad forgot my face and name. What can possibly prepare us for the season when our spouses or parents, grandparents or close friends begin to forget little things, then big things, and finally us? Father, only your grace is sufficient for these chapters in our lives, and your grace comes the quickest and easiest to us when we accept our weakness. Your strength is perfected in our weakness, Father, so, first of all, help us to be weak, out of control, and childlike in dependency on you. It’s hard to “go there,” but necessary
Rescue us from our denial about what’s really going on in the life of a loved one. Spin helps no one, minimizing minimizes nothing. Help us to accept the unacceptable—life as we know is about to change. It’s not the end of your Story, but it is our story right now.
Also Father, grant the clearest diagnosis, the best care plan, and the resources to provide that care—emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially. None of us is sufficient. We need you; we need one another.
Father, help us to love well, when the pain of change is overwhelming. Help us steward the fear, anger, frustration, and loss. Help us to know that when our loved ones forget us, and seemingly forget you, you will never forget them, or us. Great is your faithfulness; steadfast is your love; and perfect is the end of your Story. We praise, bless, and adore you… in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name.
