“… you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIVWhen my mother was diagnosed with dementia, I wondered, how is she ever going to come to faith now that her mental capacity is impaired?
My parents weren’t church-going people. I became a Christian in 1972, and since then I have prayed for them, with no obvious response. About six months ago, I noticed my Mum was regularly more peaceful. Prior to this, the doctor had tried her on a couple of different medications because she was often agitated. Recently my daughter, who works in a pharmacy, visited. I asked her to check my Mum’s pharmacy bills because I wondered what medication she was on. My daughter said, “She’s not on anything, just pain killers and sleeping pills.” I was surprised.
The staff had taken to putting Mum to bed after lunch because she was getting so tired. A couple of times, I arrived to find her still asleep but talking. She said things like, “Help me, Father.” She only ever called her earthly father, Dad. The last time I heard her talking in her sleep, she said, “Amen … Amen.”
When she was taken to the hospital a few days before she died, I expected to find her agitated and upset, but she was surprisingly calm. Even when she returned to the nursing home and was restricted to her bed, she was reasonably settled.
As I reflect on all this, I feel comforted that God has worked mysteriously in my Mum’s life and she experienced a level of peace in her final days. I’m comforted by the hope that he has given me, of seeing her again.
Susan Barnes - pursuing a life worth writing about. Contact
