Although I had been told there is a heredity
component to dementia, I was totally unprepared for this. I didn't know
what to do; but I immediately heard Jesus' sweet voice: "I will be with
you." (Exodus 3:12 NIV).
I was comforted, but
the fear often returned. Jesus had a solution for that, too. Every day
when I opened the Bible, He had a message of comfort for me, and they
were exactly what I needed to hear at any point in time. I kept a list
of these messages.
Interestingly, these
messages weren't just for me. God often told me to send them on to an
e-friend who needed encouragement. He, too, needed confirmation from
Jesus on a daily basis. The Bible verses helped him as well, and both my
friend and I were blessed in this way by the presence of Jesus.
Two weeks ago, I was trying to help my wife
start the trimmer. It has one of those ropes that you pull in order to
engage the engine. Usually this is no problem for me; but that day I
couldn't get the thing to start. I switched to my left arm for one more
try, but instead of the air being filled by the whirl of the motor, it
was filled by my screams of pain. I had somehow wrenched my shoulder.
I went to the hospital
where x-rays confirmed that nothing was broken, and I was sent home with
ice and Advil. It helped, but the pain, especially at night, was
terrible. When I saw my family doctor, she suggested I had possibly
sustained a small tear to my rotator cuff. She ordered more tests and
sent me to physiotherapy.
I dutifully made the
initial appointment. The day before I was to go see the physiotherapist,
however, I had a very real experience with God. I was in the bathroom of
all places, when I felt the presence of Jesus. I was excited and I
listened with bated breath as Jesus told me He had a message for me: He
would heal my shoulder.
Please understand that
this was such an honour. However, I was facing something far bigger than
a torn rotator cuff: I was facing dementia! I asked Him then if He would
heal my cognition instead, as this was way more important.
His response? I could almost feel His smile:
"I will heal that, too!"
When I went for my
physio examination the following day, I had no more pain in my shoulder,
except for a tiny bit during the night. The physiotherapist sent me home
with exercises, but said he really didn't need to see me again. God was
already coming through on His promise of healing.
Is it my imagination, or are my words
gradually coming easier now as well? People seem to have less trouble
knowing what I am talking about! I realize by all of this that Jesus is
healing me bit by bit. I know my cognitive healing still has a
long way to go, but didn't Jesus already come through for my shoulder?
Doesn't He keep ALL His promises? I am confident that He will restore
ALL of my cognition as well!
God always heal!
"The LORD is my light
and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my
life--of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps. 27:1 NIV)
Our Jesus will always
come through!
"You, dear children, are from God and have
overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who
is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NIV)
Rob Chaffart