One thing we cannot lose ............. Parables 768

November 27, 2002

The older I get, the more often my memory takes naps. Today, I thought about a lady I know who owns a quilt store in BC. I can see her face but cannot remember her name.

Forgetting names is bad enough, but this sleepy memory also forgets how to spell. This week, inconsistencies became enconsistancies. I’m thankful for spell-checkers and dictionaries!

But I wonder what will disappear from my head next. Will I try to phone my daughter and forget her number? Will I see my neighbors and forget where I met them? Will I drive downtown and forget how to get home?

The prospects of dementia are doubly frightening as I think about my mother’s decline due to Alzheimer’s disease. She could not remember her own face at times, even though she always remembered mine. Her confusion was often frustrating as she tried to say something and could not remember the words to describe her thoughts.

However, as I think of her dementia, I must also remind myself of two things. One, she was nearly always happy. And two, her relationship with God remained constant. There are some things that memory loss cannot take away.

Edward T. Welch, in his book “Blame it on the Brain?” says that the spirit and the mind are two different things. While one does have some influence on the other, a person with any type of mental disorder or brain injury is still able to hear God speak, understand spiritual matters, be joyful, and talk to God in prayer.

He uses Scripture to back up his theory. In 2 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul talks about physical decline. He says, “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

That verse and others like it show me that what happens to our body does not prevent God from speaking to our spirit. His Spirit communicates with our spirit, not just our minds.

Welch’s book illustrates with true stories. One is about a cranky man with Alzheimer’s who was bitter and impatient. He made many demands on his care giver daughter. Both were Christians. The daughter was frustrated, but decided to be patient and kind. She finally asked her dad to be less demanding. To her delight, he responded as she asked. His mind was not working but he could still repent from his ornery attitude and experience God’s cleansing power.

In another story, Welch tells of a woman whose dementia robbed her of the ability to remember and talk about much of anything. Mostly she communicated how much she hated God. Her care giving family could not leave her home by herself, so each Sunday they took her to church with them. One day on the way home, she said, “I need forgiveness for what I have done.” Her family explained once more that Jesus died for her sins and that forgiveness was available through faith in Him. The woman believed and received Christ as her Lord and Savior.
From then on, she talked about Jesus all the time, telling her friends and others about his love and forgiveness. Her mind was dying, but her spirit received new life.

Actually, my mother’s loss of memory was not so bad. She did not suffer anxiety. We all want that. She was able to laugh about it, another good thing. I’m sure she passed her days in contentment because the Lord was with her. He gave her that peace and good humor.

Just writing this reminds me of one more thing that dementia cannot take from anyone. Because He promised, “Lo, I am with you always,” we can lose our memory but we can never lose Jesus.

Blame it on the Brain? .......... Parables 641

May 26, 1999

In the senior’s lodge where my mother lives, some of the residents become sweeter with age while others turn more sour. At one time, their temperaments may have been polite and uncomplaining but as they grow older, they become rude, grouchy and even mean. Most of the time, dementia is blamed but is that a valid diagnosis?

Edward T. Welch in his book, “Blame It on the Brain?” says it is possible to distinguish between the symptoms of brain disorders (such as dementia) and simple disobedience to the commands of God and conscience.

He makes a strong case. He says it is fact that a person’s spirit cannot be diseased by mental illnesses or problems like aging or brain injuries. While temptations and the ability to function normally are challenged, the inner person can not only still resist these challenges but can also continue to grow spiritually.

Welch explains that the “heart” talked about in the Bible is not a mental or physical organ. It is that inner life spark that can hear and respond to God. He gives Scripture references and many examples to show that disorders of the brain, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder and mental retardation do not change that ability.

According to this well thought-out and researched book, the morals and attitudes of people do not change as their brain deteriorates or is under stresses of any kind. Rather, the challenges these people face (just like those anyone encounters) bring out what is already in the heart. That is, if a person secretly curses God, a mental problem will expose their secret.

I see the positive side of this in my mother. She became a Christian as a young woman. As her mental deterioration began, she was no longer able to pretend any attitudes she did not have. However, she also learned to bring the sinful emotions and responses to God. This life-time habit continued, even as Alzheimer’s began to steal her memory so she is becoming sweeter as she ages. The Spirit of God is evidently a part of her heart.

The Bible talks about these things in 2 Corinthians 4. The Apostle Paul explains that a Christian has a treasure in a jar of clay. The treasure is Christ; the clay our frail bodies.

God demonstrates His power in us, even in our weaknesses and difficulties. No matter how he was crushed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, he did not despair, feel abandoned, nor become destroyed. His spirit remained strong.

Paul also said he carried around in his body both the death of Christ (for his sins) and the life of Christ so the world can see that Jesus is still alive. Then he said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away (referring to our bodies), yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

The inner person or the spirit was not affected by the trials of his life. In fact, that inner life was growing because it was united to the eternal life of Christ. Nothing could change that for Paul, nor can anything change it for those who believe in Christ as he did.

Sometimes Christians suffer disorders related to their brain: head injury, dementia, depression and so on, but God’s promises and power are able to give us all we need to live godly lives. Instead of blaming a bad attitude on a mental condition or chemical imbalance, we can take responsibility for it and then by the power of God be freed from it.

Smartening-up Pills? .............. Parables 278

July 31, 1991

One of the latest efforts from scientific technology is a pill that supposedly increases memory. This drug may even eliminate those embarrassing moments when you cannot remember your best friend’s name or your spouse’s birthday. The report did claim that those who take this pill will become more intelligent. They connect the ability to recall with a person’s level of genius. Maybe the pill-makers equate poor memory with stupidity because those memory lapses make us feel so ignorant.

In any case, the story sounded like the one about the traveling salesman who sold the farmer some “Smartening-up” pills. It seems the farmer paid his $10, opened the bottle, and exclaimed, “These are nothing but rabbit pellets,” whereupon the salesman said, “See, you are smarter already.”

Seriously, we have marvelous capacities to both remember and forget. My problem is tending to do the one when I should do the other. For instance, if someone teaches me something useful, I have to work hard to remember it, but any bad impressions picked up along the way stick with me too easily.

God sets an example for us. He forgets the negative. If we confess our sins, He says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12). However, He remembers the godly deeds His people do and promises to reward them. To help us to do good, He suggests WE remember a few positives as well:

REMEMBER HIS WORKS AND HIS WORD: “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth (1 Chronicles 16:12). If we remember what He has done, it will help us live right.

REMEMBER HIS PROMISES: According to 2 Peter 1:4, “He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” If we remember what He says, it will help us live right.

REMEMBER HIS COMMANDMENTS: The people of Israel were told to tie them on their foreheads so they would not forget them. His commands relate to life while disobedience leads to death, another good reason to remember His Word.

REMEMBER WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US: Christians were once slaves to sin but He has delivered us. Rather than become spiritually barren, we must remember we have been cleansed from our old sins (2 Peter 1:9). We also must remember that He was raised from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8) and promises us eternal life with Him. That gives us hope and also motivates right living.

REMEMBER TO KEEP RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT: God will not accept our worship if we have hurt someone and don’t clear it up. Matthew 5:23,24 says: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there... first go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” This certainly is a vital part of living right.

REMEMBER OTHER PEOPLE: We are to remember the poor, remember to pray for all, and remember that we are accountable to those who are in authority over us. (See Galatians 2:10, 2 Timothy 1:3, and Hebrews 13:7,17)

Remembering even this short list is not easy. The Apostle Peter says in two places that the reason he wrote his second book was to remind his readers of things they would forget. Because we tend to forget so much and so easily, God encourages us to continually read what He has to say. He promises if we do, and do not forget it but follow it, we will be able to live right.

Now if someone would just come up with a pill that made obedience to God easier...