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March Madness rewrite
I have suffered dementia for the past six months with all its confusion, vagueness, loneliness and feeling disengaged from other believers, even my husband and family.
Early in February of this year God had restored my mind almost in a moment. Suddenly I was able to think coherently again. Day by day, new physical and mental wonders began developing. I could speak clearly and logically again. I resumed going to Church and seeing my friends, but I wasn’t yet able to interact socially without feeling totally inadequate. Fears and panic attacks were my daily experiences, but, at least, I could rejoice and praise the Lord for the great restoration He was accomplishing in my body.
On February 28th there was a Women’s Ministry affair called ‘Mug ‘n Muffin’ at Granada Heights Friends Church. I agreed to go because Joan was speaking. She’d spoken several times before at our Women’s Bible Study. She was a very enthusiastic personality and a clear thinker!
It was as if God had brought Joan to California to minister to me, because she spoke specifically to my spiritual need. I did, indeed, feel like an orphan with no one interested in adopting me! I further thought myself disqualified as a believer because I’d turned off toward god and fellowship with other believers. I thought I’d denied the Lord when I’d thought of suicide rather than face a life with Alzheimer’s disease, which I thought I had. I felt that I’d denied the Lord by turning off toward His Word, His people, His house. I was totally lethargic toward anything spiritual.
Joan spoke of all the ‘adoption’ verses in the bible and the fact of God’s willingness to reach out to me who was so unworthy of His notice. God used His Word to reach my world with His wonderful news that He wants me as His child, went to the Cross not only to save me some 75 years ago, but to keep me in His great arms of love. Each verse on adoption just assured me that He who began the work of salvation did not abandon me when I needed Him most, He is in the process of completing His good work in my life today. Furthermore, He will yet deliver me until eternity by His great completion of the work He started in my childish heart all those years ago!
I was restored to glorious fellowship with my wonderful Lord. It was as if I’d moved from the Romans 7 experience of failure, upon failure, to the Romans 8 joy of being uncondemned before God, and adopted as His cherished child with all the privileges of dwelling with Him in the heavenlies! When I least expected His forgiveness, He loaded me with His unspeakable gifts of love and acceptance! I went away from that meeting feeling the joy of the Lord at His marvelous grace operating right then in revitalizing my soul and spirit with His matchless love and care for me.
Each day since then He has been working through His Word an effectual outpouring of further healing.
Helen S. (California)
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