I spend a lot of time visiting friends in a local nursing home.  As time has gone on, the Lord has brought many wonderful people into my life through this.  All are lonely, and struggle with discouragement as they suffer deterioration, loss of control and abilities, and miss their families and loved ones who have died.  I spend much of my time trying to encourage and strengthen their faith, and just to be a friend.

One day, I was reading the Bible to a friend along with my pastor.  There was a woman nearby who was asleep in her chair.  I attempted to speak to her and welcome her to our study.  She opened her eyes, but did not respond.  She could not even tell me her name.  However, while we were reading, she suddenly began to speak, saying, “Even if I was the only one, Jesus still would have died for me!”  Then, she began to recite several scriptures word for word.  After this, she would not speak, and could not tell us her name.

I learned two most valuable lessons from this little lady.  The first concerns the value of memorizing scripture. Proverbs 7 tells us in verses 1-3 “My son, keep My words and store up My commands within you.  Keep My commands and you will live; guard My teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tabet of your heart.”  From this woman, far advanced in dementia, I learned that, if we “write” God’s word on “the tablet of our hearts” through memorizing scripture, then nothing can steal it away from us; not age, dementia, or physical frailty.  The government may come in one day and take our Bibles, but what is stored in our heart is ours forever.

The first lesson was immediate.  The second lesson came later as I pondered the events of the day.  In this day and age, with our debates over use of healthcare dollars, many would question this woman’s quality of life, and would probably think that she could make no significant contributions to society (I use this new age’s language here).  She was unable to walk or sit up, and someone had to bathe, dress, and feed her, and attend to all bodily functions.  She was so advanced in her dementia that she could not even tell us her name (which I later found out was “Phoebe”).  What good was her life?  Well, God used this woman to teach me perhaps the most valuable lessons I have ever learned in my Christian life.  My second lesson:  God has a plan and a purpose for all of us, and He has placed us in just the right situation to accomplish His will, if we are willing.  He can use anyone to accomplish His will, even a nursing home resident far advanced in dementia.  We are ALL here for a reason and we ALL have a purpose, even if we can’t see it or understand it.

I have tried to thank Miss Phoebe, but I don’t think she understands.  No matter; when we are both home with Jesus and whole in body and mind, I will thank her then!