Because
Of His Great Love
But because of
his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with
Christ…
Ephesians 2:4, 5
“Mom lived in fear the last year of
her life,” Nancy confided. “Alzheimer’s robbed her of every
last shred of physical strength and emotional stability.”
“I’m sorry,” Craig said. “That
must have been so hard watch.”
“The hardest part was seeing how it
shook Mom’s faith. She seemed unable to grasp the fullness of the
Holy Spirit.”
“It’s disheartening to witness a
loved one losing their identity. Many people, as you said, have
experienced a crisis of faith wondering why God would allow this to
happen.”
Nancy nodded, “As terrible as that
last year was, the final four days of Mom’s life were wonderfully
reassuring. God revealed Himself in the most conspicuous of ways.”
“How so?”
“Right before Mom died, the fear
departed. It didn’t reduce or decline…it left completely, it was
entirely gone. In its place was complete and utter peace, with
moments of lucidity.
“Several times Mom voiced that she
wanted to go home. We tried to reassure her, ‘Mom, this is
your house,’ we’d say. Or, ‘ You are home, Mom.’ But
she didn’t seem to hear.” Nancy’s smile held a slight chuckle,
“It took us a couple days before we realized she was talking about
Heaven…!”
I smiled, guessing what Nancy would say
next…
“Mom said she saw Jesus during those
last four days. As incredible as it sounded, we never questioned the
validity of her testimony. The change that had come over her could
only have been due to something supernatural, so we knew she was
telling the truth. Jesus had shown up, eased her pain, and prepared
her for the trip home.”
†
Alzheimer’s is one of the worst
consequences of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Yet in spite of this
fact, today’s account has been a recurring theme during the last
days of many Alzheimer’s patients. I have been witness to no less
than four of these blessings.
God, in His infinite mercy, reaches
into the lives of those afflicted and removes the veil of confusion.
When it happens it is amazing to
behold. The Spirit of God, through Jesus Christ, is remembered and
has come alive once again!
Prayer
“Lord God, we thank You
for making Yourself known at a time when it is most needed. May we
always appreciate the presence of Your Spirit. Amen.”
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