**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, - A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
"For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking."
-Hebrews 2:5 ESV
If any of you have family members who have been affected by Dementia, you know what it is like for that family member to forget your name. The hardest part of helping those with this devastating disease is watching the loved one you knew wither away before your very eyes. The vibrant, loving mother becomes a spiteful, angry child—refusing to eat or take care of herself. The emotional turmoil the disease inflicts upon a family is great. I know, because I have witnessed it with multiple family members.
One of the earliest symptoms in my family was the general loss or mixing up of the identities of others. Whether it was mistaking me for my mother, or my husband for his uncle, there was confusion about who was who or even the time period. My grandmother told me stories of her past that were jumbled, jumping from childhood to young married life without transition or knowledge. Only through prompting of questions did I realize it was a different time period. There was also a time when my grandmother, who is a Japanese immigrant, returned from her country speaking Japanese. All of us were worried as none of us can speak the language, but she eventually returned to her accented English, to our great relief.
Confusion sows chaos, and ultimately creates emotional distress. Psychologists have done study after study that show homes with rule and order are homes that are healthier for children to grow up in. But those who study the Bible could've told these scientists that from the beginning, because God is a god of order, not chaos.
This is evident in the author's words in Hebrews. He or she clarifies that it is human beings, not angels, that are subject to God's particular plan. Angels do not have spiritual gifts or abilities. Angels do not exist physically in our world (though they can take on human shape, as found in Genesis 19). The phrase "of which we are speaking" also refers to how the author has been making an argument that angels are not superior to Jesus. He will also go on to tell us that human beings are not superior to angels or God either, but that is the subject of tomorrow's devotional.
Instead, human beings are God's subjects. That means he knows our identities and has called us by name (Isaiah 43:1). As a shepherd, he understands us in a way that no one else can (John 10:14). We are his people, the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). He will never forget our names, for they are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). Even more exciting, he will give us a unique name that only he knows (Revelation 2:17). We are his people, and therefore subject to his plan.
Dementia is a terrible disease. Yet, it is also subject to Jesus' power. One day, it will be wiped away, with every kind of suffering (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more tears, no more grief or sadness, only the joy of living forever with our Shepherd-King. What a day that will be!
Let's pray. Dear Lord, teach us to sing praises of joy no matter our circumstances. Let us turn to you with concerns about our loved ones or health, honoring you as a subject of your plan. Amen.
Alzheimer's runs in my family and it's hard to watch them decline I couldn't imagine how it is for them. I have the Alzheimer's gene so one day I might to have it. I turn to God in hopes that there's no suffering for not only myself but my family who have it or has gone through it.
Thank you for talking about dementia. It hits hard. But my relative now has a restored mind in heaven.