Why Do We Do It?
Remember this, God loves the person you have to care for
All of us will have times we need to lay down everything and serve Him
When He asked us to do nothing
Because His nothing is always an expression of Love
And that is SOMETHING
Let this be an encouraging word to all the caregivers
Those who care for someone who can no longer be productive
God loves everyone even those with Dementia and Alzheimer
Those whose lives are coming to an end
If you are caring for one of these people, know this
You are the conduit for God to show His love
Be at peace in allowing the love of Christ to flow through you
Why Do We Do It?
Most of us are goal oriented.
What we think and do is for some type of gain.
I have worked hard for years to
afford a second home in Florida.
Although I have not been able to attain that goal…
God has had a place in Florida
for us to use every year for decades.
Achievement, reward, payment are all good things.
For even when we were with you,
we would give you this command:
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV
God rewards work.
"Behold, I am coming soon!
My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according
to what he has done.
Revelation 22:12
Paul in writing to the Corinthian believers said…
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.
Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Sandy and I were asked to care for my niece’s mother
so my nephew, niece, and their two boys
could take a much needed family vacation.
My niece, Stacy, has to give her mother
round the clock care because
her mother, Kathy, has Dementia.
When we were asked to come care for Kathy,
we immediately felt overwhelmed.
We had many responsibilities at home,
and to be gone 10 days meant…
There were going to be things I could not do
to save us money and work I could not do,
that would make us money.
There was the concern of giving Kathy
the care she needed.
Sandy and I have almost no experience
in caring for a person with Dementia.
Despite being overwhelmed…
We felt to go was the right thing to do.
Stacy’s mom is a sweet lady
and can forget who you are.
She has always beamed with a bright smile
when she sees us.
Each day Sandy helped Kathy
get dressed and prepare her meals.
Three times a day she needed to take her pills…
But she could not remember how to take them.
Each pill took several minutes of coaching…
Sometimes for her to only spit it out and
the process had to be repeated.
We did puzzles made for people with Alzheimer.
These were very simple.
One of these, was a set of six puzzles.
Each puzzle had different shapes,
like a star or a circle, etc.
The one day she did two puzzles very quickly
but after that she could not do the others.
She liked to play pool.
The first time I played with her…
I gave her the pool stick and
she went to the decorations on a table
and I had to take the stick before
she took a shot at one of them.
She could not identify the white ball
so she shot whatever was in front of her.
Although she could not remember how to play,
she loved shooting the balls with me.
I have said for years…
The greatest thing God created us with
is the brain.
With it we think, dream,
solve problems, make choices.
Out of all the others parts of the body,
the brain is the greatest.
But those with Dementia and Alzheimer suffer
with a loss of these great things the brain can do.
Sandy and I are fairly educated people.
We have organized and accomplished many
things with the skills of our brains.
We enjoy helping people become productive.
We love to teach and share
our knowledge and mental skills.
The reward of seeing someone prosper
from our input is thrilling.
At the end of our trip caring for Kathy
I had a wonderful peace.
We spent our days helping a person who
would not remember what we had done.
The puzzles and other exercises
would not make her better and
a productive part of society.
It might even be seen as a waste of our time.
But somehow I felt a reward for caring for Kathy
as great as times I preached in large auditoriums
to a large group of people.
Why?
What made this labor that would
not be remembered worth it?
It is found in one word…
Love
God asked us to do one thing in life…
Love God and love each other.
Our example is found in God…
Because God is love.
To be God’s love to Kathy is indiscernible.
To know God loves Kathy so much…
Even though she can no longer be productive.
She will not remember the labor to make
her life the best we can or that God can.
God took us from all the other places
that paid out great rewards
and used us to show Kathy God’s love.
I can’t tell you…
I can’t measure the value and reward I feel.
If love is like water…
Than an ocean of God’s love
flowed through me to Kathy.
I got to experience God’s love
that required nothing on Kathy’s part.
At the end of our stay, Kathy
was able to string together a few words.
She said to Sandy,
as she pointed to the other room
where I was, and said…
“That man, and you,
I really like both of you”.
In my early 20’s, before
I started full time ministry as a pastor,
God asked me a question…
“Would you serve me if I asked you to do nothing
for the rest of your life?”
I took this question very seriously
as I love work and accomplishment.
I fasted and meditated for days
before I came back to the Lord
with my answer of “Yes”.
Shortly after I gave my answer to the Lord…
I was ask to leave my job at Jeep
to serve full time in the church.
The young man, woman or couple I counseled
who had their whole life ahead of them
to make a difference in the world…
I gave the same thing as I did to Kathy
who has no future in this life.
I gave them God’s love.
There is no greater joy than to
know God’s love and give it to others.
You can’t waste God’s love
because it is always more than enough.
If you are a gifted person, like my niece, Stacy,
who had made companies millions of dollars.
Or, who is active in serving in the church,
singing on the stage and
opening her home to life groups.
And you find yourself like Kathy,
unable to do those things
we think are so big and great…
The things that get you approval from others.
Remember this…
God loves the person you have to care for.
All of us will have times
we need to lay down everything
and serve Him
when He asked us to do nothing.
Because His nothing is
always an expression of love…
And that is SOMETHING.
Scripture Reading
John 15:13-17 NIV
3 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Revelation 22:12-13 NIV
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
