70 times 7?! Can you do this? Forgive and try again 490 times? Stumble, fall, get up, stumble, fall, get up. How many times can I keep doing this? Today, I’m wonderful; tomorrow, she wants to go into a home. The only way to keep her happy is to not have any confrontations. How is that possible? Three different people all living in the same house. Do we all just live separate lives? I’m so caught in the middle!!! I hate this!!!
This scenario is not just for caregivers and an elderly parent. It could be a wayward, adult child who is still living at home. It could be an estranged husband and wife. How do we get along? There’s no easy solution. I do admit that it is totally different when you are dealing with a person with dementia. There is no constancy, no reasoning. You may explain one day, but the next day it is forgotten. Oh, my aching heart!
The words of my dear mother echo in my brain. “How does anyone get through these difficult times without the Lord.” I do not know! He is the only place where I can go!
- Psalm 61:2 When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
- When I’m overwhelmed—I allow my Lord to lead me to my Rock!!
- Psalm 121:1,2 I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
- I look up, and there He is—my Help!!
- Psalm 70:5 But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.
- I see my utter helplessness and cry to my God—my help AND my Deliverer!!
- Psalm 63:7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
- Can I do this? Can I rejoice? Oh, the rest that we find in the shadow of His wings!! Yes! I WILL rejoice!
- Psalm 94:17 Unless the LORD had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence.
- “When I had almost dwelt in silence, then the Lord was my help, kept me alive, kept me in heart; and unless I had made him my help, by putting my trust in him and expecting relief from him, I could never have kept possession of my own soul; but living by faith in him has kept my head above water, has given me breath, and something to say.” Matthew Henry
My Jesus, fair, was pierced by thorns,
By thorns grown from the fall.
Thus He who gave the curse was torn
To end that curse for all.
Chorus:
O love divine, O matchless grace—
That God should die for men!
With joyful grief I lift my praise,
Abhorring all my sin,
Adoring only Him.
My Jesus, meek, was scorned by men,
By men in blasphemy.
“Father, forgive their senseless sin!”
He prayed, for them, for me.
My Jesus, kind, was torn by nails,
By nails of cruel men.
And to His cross, as grace prevailed,
God pinned my wretched sin.
My Jesus, pure, was crushed by God,
By God, in judgment just.
The Father grieved, yet turned His rod
On Christ, made sin for us.
My Jesus, strong, shall come to reign,
To reign in majesty—
The Lamb arose, and death is slain.
Lord, come in victory!
Anderson/Habegger
As I read the words from this amazing hymn, I feel the peace that can only come from God come into my heart. It finishes the work that God’s Word began. It puts my focus back on my Lord and the price He paid for my sin; and somehow, it gives me hope and strength to go on—to get up one more time.
Beyond Common Sense 