Memory Care

Jesus Remembers

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
Matthew 10:29 NIV

Every Thursday, I get to sing with my friends in a memory care facility. It is such a blessing seeing them light up as they hear the familiar hymns and many of them sing along. But as I greet them, some cannot remember my name, or in a few cases, even their own! Visitors rarely come. Perhaps most people think that since their loved one doesn’t even remember them any longer, that there is no purpose in coming. But the good news is that even when everyone else forgets, Jesus remembers! Jesus also weeps. Just as when Jesus came to visit the sisters of Lazarus, while he lay in the grave, Jesus wept with them before He did any miracles. Sometimes people don’t need explanations, they need our tears, our listening ears and our presence. Yes, Jesus weeps with them, but then Jesus does something more: He prays.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 NIV

Jesus is not retired, waiting up in Heaven for you and I to get things right. No! Jesus remembers us, Jesus weeps with us and Jesus prays for us. Jesus also prays for every one who sits in memory care. Jesus also calls you and I to remember, to weep and to pray. Will you take time this week to remember someone who has been forgotten by most? A few minutes, a prayer, a kiss, or an arm around their shoulders, may not seem like much, but it is everything to them. Have a blessed day everyone and remember to pray for those in memory care and put some feet to those prayers this week.

Taking Care of Mom

/ pastorpete51 / 10 Comments 
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” and from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26-27 ESV

When we read the stories of Jesus calling His disciples, it becomes clear early on that He had a special job for three of them: Peter, James, and John. Though Peter’s brother Andrew followed Jesus first and was the one who told Peter about Him, it was Peter who was called to be the leader, and despite denying Christ at His trial, Peter was the same boldly preached to thousands on Pentecost. At first, thousands became Christians, but then a few months later, the second in that inner circle, James was put to death for his faith. But what about John? If Peter were to lead, and James to be martyred, what did Jesus ask John to do? Jesus called Him take care of His mother.

While Peter was out preaching, and later on Paul became the greatest evangelist of all time, John stayed home, and there accomplished two things: He wrote about Jesus and He took care of Mary. Maybe there were days when John wondered why he couldn’t have a more exciting ministry. Why couldn’t he go on a mission trip, schedule a speaking tour, or organize the growing church? In fact, after the first few chapters of the book of Acts, John disappears from our view entirely. It wasn’t that he wasn’t as smart, couldn’t speak well or know how to lead. The central issue of John’s life was that He was asked by Jesus to take care of someone most precious to Jesus: His mom!

In memory-care ministry, we are not asked to speak to large crowds, to oversee the construction of a new church or to travel overseas. Instead, Jesus calls us to enter a world that others hope to avoid, and many would like to forget. So, on days when you wonder if you are making any difference, you feel exhausted, or confused, just remember John. When we read through the New Testament, we don’t find a single word that John said, and yet he was called the disciple whom Jesus loved. You are likewise loved by Jesus, and He will fill you with His love for others as you continue to trust Him and just take care of mom!

More Than Memories

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
I will delight myself in Thy statutes. I will not forget Thy word. Psalm 119:16 KJV

When we are serving in memory care facilities, stirring memories is a great beginning, but as Christian workers, we must set higher goals. After all, in the facilities where those struggling with cognitive decline live there are others who are already doing that. They play songs from the distant past, present old movies and employ a variety of resources to stir up the residents’ minds. But God gave us music as a key to unlock a door, and we need to do more than just open it. We need to walk through that door with the Gospel. Now, I venture to say that you imagine that this is a tall order for folks who can barely recall their own names, and I will be the first to agree with you. Effectively sharing with our friends in memory care is a unique challenge that can only be overcome when the Holy Spirit is at work. Just as the message Jesus gave to the thief on the cross was very different from the challenges and teaching, He gave to His disciples, so our goals must be simpler and more direct. Though I occasionally begin a song by first sharing, an encouragement, or a memory of my own, most of the message is wrapped in the songs themselves. The wonderful thing about Hymns is not just that they are familiar, easy to sing or happy. The best hymns give the message of the Gospel in three to five verses. As I lead my friends in song, I try my best to lead them from, “This Little Light of Mine, through the Garden of Prayer, and ultimately all the way to the Old Rugged Cross. Though the specific song selection that you use may be different than mine, the trajectory should be the same. God has put us in places where very few others have the privilege of going, with a message so simple that even a child can understand and even our friends living in memory care can embrace! Memory loss, Parkinson’s, and Dementia create a seemly endless storm in the some of our loved ones and those precious to us. But when we stand with them in the eye of that storm, remember that Jesus is standing there with us. He is the Master of the Storm and the Pilot who can lead us safely into harbor.