Prayers

#521 - Alzheimer's/Dementia - Part 1
Volume 2 - Prayers to Love Our Neighbor

Dear Father, my loved one has Alzheimer's or dementia and they no longer know who I am. I have become a stranger to them except for those rare moments when they recognize me. Their mind is gone. The person who I enjoyed so many memories with is gone. Their personality is gone. While I may pour my love out to them, they don't recognize it or appreciate it. In fact, they may feel threatened by my love, as I appear to them as a total stranger. Their character has changed. They seem to have changed their values and beliefs. They no longer know how to express love to me. Who is this person? I don't recognize them. Father, this is an appropriate time to remember that there is only one lasting relationship in our lives - our relationship with You. Friends, family, and loved ones come and go. They move on to other things. They pass away. They develop Alzheimer's. However, You are the relationship that lasts. You never lose Your mind. You never change who You are. You love us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and 120 years in our life. Father, may my loved one's Alzheimer's be a reminder that I must not neglect my relationship with You. May You become the most important relationship in my life, the relationship that will be there after all other relationships are gone. Father, forgive me for my rebellion from You. Help me to surrender to You. Give me the fruits of the Holy Spirit so that I can have the perseverance and cheerfulness I need to unconditionally love this Alzheimer's/dementia patient. Father, give me peace about this situation. May it not produce anxiety or resentment in me so that I can practice loving others when they can't or are not willing to love me back. Amen.

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