Hi, and welcome to Joni and Friends! I’m Joni Eareckson Tada…
And during this November, we at the ministry have joined with a lot of groups serving the elderly because this has been National Alzheimer’s Disease Month and there is so much happening in the area of treatment and research for people with Alzheimer’s. As you probably know, this is the most common form of dementia and as many as 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Won’t go into details here, but it destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, the ability to think clearly, behavior. Sadly, today it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
I have a friend named Scott – he’s an artist; a sculptor – and Scott’s father is in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s. Scott goes to visit his dad at the facility where he lives, and it’s hard when his father looks up and has this blank look in his eyes, like, “Who are you?” Scott told me this week that his father is drifting further away. Which is sad, because his dad was a pastor and a very good preacher – but now, the Bible just looks like any other book. He’s not able to read anymore, and to him, the words on the page are just a jumble.
But Scott has a secret door into his father’s mind. Whenever he wants to visit his dad – and I don’t mean step into his room in the facility – but whenever Scott wants to see his father, his real father… whenever he wants to connect with him in that old, familiar way, Scott asks his dad to pray. And that is the secret door into his father’s mind and heart.
Scott will ask, “Dad, would you mind praying before I leave?” And immediately, the elderly pastor takes his son’s hand – sometimes he puts his hand on Scott’s shoulder (boy, that brings tears to his eyes); his dad bows his head, and… a transformation occurs right before Scott’s eyes, because his dad begins praying clearly and concisely to the Lord Jesus. He may have forgotten everyone else – even his own family – but he hasn’t forgotten Jesus. And so Scott listens and “visits” with his eyes closed as his father’s voice rises with confidence; he obviously recognizes who God is. Somewhere, out of nowhere, he actually strings sentences – actual well-crafted sentences as he prays for missionaries – he can’t name them – but he prays for “the missionaries” and “the body of Christ worldwide and my brothers and sisters in the Lord.” And then when he says “Amen,” he looks up, smiles at Scott, and pats his son on the shoulder, just like a dad or a pastor would, but just a few seconds later he’s gone, he disappears behind eyes that are sweet, but completely unaware of the presence of the one young man who loves him dearly.
It’s a little like what God did for his people in Matthew 10 where it says, “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Scott sees it happen every time he wants to visit – I mean really visit and see – his father. I wish it were like that for all families who have a parent with Alzheimer’s, but most of them are a far cry from that. In fact, you probably know a family who has a member with Alzheimer’s and I’d like to send you a wonderful resource to give to them. It’s called Living by Vows and you can get your free copy today by visiting my radio page at joniandfriends.org. Again, that’s joniandfriends.org. Finally, if you want to know how to pray for those you know who have Alzheimer’s, flip to Matthew 10, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you on behalf of people like Scott’s father.
And don’t forget to write us at Joni and Friends, that’s P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, California 91376.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends