I will praise to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Psalm 146:2 ESV

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of…” I am sure as you read that phrase, that you were not only able to fill in the rest of the words, but that the melody from the Battle Hymn of the Republic also stirred in your memory. The linking of memory and melody is nothing short of miraculous. I still remember a night from a few years ago when a non-verbal 102-year-old resident who had been wheeled into our church services for months, suddenly broke into song at Christmas as we began singing “Silent Night.” Something in those words awoke a memory in her, and she sang along for more than just the first few lines. Amazingly, this dear lady made it all the way through all three verses! You could try to explain her response in some sort of scientific terms, but the plain truth is that there was a mystery there which only God understood. While we have commandments which forbid us from doing some things and require us to do others, as believers, singing praises to God is usually spontaneous. From the beginning of creation, God gave us singing as a wonderful gift to help us express our love and worship to Him. Even with people whose cognitive abilities have been severely compromised, they still retain a sometime hidden capacity to sing,

So, while visiting, friends or family who are living in memory care, why not try bringing along music. Turn on the radio, play a music CD or use a song list from your device. But no matter the form you use, be sure to sing with them. Listening is to hymns or worship songs is soothing, but singing together is priceless. Remember today’s verse says that we can sing to God, not just when we are young and our voices are clear, but as long as we live, and if we have eternal life through Jesus Christ that is a long-long time indeed!