Remember When?

By: Ethel Chadwick
bagelsandblessings.com

I have a challenge for you. The next time someone asks you to repeat something, take a deep breath, slowly exhale, and calmly answer as if it were the first time. Having a mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease has made me painfully aware that there are times in everyone’s life when we forget something.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not living in a constant state of fear that I will get Alzheimer’s. It’s just that I am more sensitive to memory – or lack of it. I have friends of all ages that often forget things. I try NEVER to say “but I already told you that!” No one likes being reminded that they forgot something. This is where we need to ask the Lord for grace.
Try real hard not to get annoyed, irritated or impatient when someone forgets something. One way to express Yeshua’s love is to show grace and compassion. I know it’s not easy, especially if you are dealing with a dementia patient. That requires a whole new set of skills and triple the amount of patience.
Maybe the root of the problem is that we are not operating in the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May Abba Father help us to be kind and show grace to others!


Ethel Chadwick