Molly and Dilbert MacIntosh went downtown last Friday to do a little shopping. They were about to enter the ice cream parlor when they heard their names called. Callie, Abby, Ryan, Mallory, and Katie came running down the street. They drove downtown as soon as they got out of school to buy items for tomorrow’s high school homecoming parade.
All these students had been attending the Saturday night get together at the Barnwell’s farm. It was always a fun time for everyone, added to by the MacIntosh’s great story telling and sense of humor. After a warm exchange of hugs the MacIntosh’s offered to treat them all to an ice cream sundae; they didn’t have to ask but once as everyone went piling into the store.
Abby, the high school senior class president, said the only reason they had to make an “extra” trip downtown was to pick up some items for the parade. Ryan had forgotten them, even though they were on the to do list given to him earlier in the week. Katie laughed and said, “Now that Ryan has turned 18 and is getting old, his memory seems to be slipping.”
Abby started to laugh, “What’s tickling your funny bone.” Mallory asked talking about memory loss made me think about the wedding my family went to a few weeks ago. After the wedding, my 3½ year old sister, Madison, asked the bride if she forgot who she was supposed to marry.
The bride said, “No, I sure didn’t. What made you ask a question like that?” Madison said, “Because you went down the aisle with one man and came back up with another. The bride laughed, gave Madison a hug, and assured her she married the right man.
Mallory spoke, “Talking about getting old and losing your memory, my grandmother has a real bad case of Alzheimer’s.” Ryan said, “That isn’t all bad, my great aunt has a bad case of memory loss too. She sent me $25 for my birthday last month which was on the 5th. This month she sent me another birthday card and $25 on the 5th.”
“You won’t hear me complaining about her memory loss.” Abby said, “Sounds to me like your memory isn’t any better.” “Abby, what do you mean by that remark?” Ryan, asked? Abby said, “You must have forgotten your great aunt’s address if you didn’t do the right thing and return the money.” Ryan, looking a little sheepish said, “Yeah, you’re right Abby, I better do that when I get home.”
It was at this point Dilbert and Molly talked about people they knew, or know of, with severe memory loss and about the hurt it can cause for family members, especially for young people when their grandparents or other loved ones no longer remember them. Mallory said, “Callie are you ok?” Tears were running down her checks. The mood of laughter and fun changed quickly. Callie had a deep-in-thought look on her face. “What is it, Callie?” Katie asked, “Tell us?”
Callie told them she had gone to the nursing home with her parents to see her great grandmother the Sunday before last, right after church. She didn’t want to go since her great grandmother hadn’t remembered her for about four years now.
When she asked her parents why waste the time going to see her since she didn’t know them, her parents replied, “No, but we still know and love her.” Callie said they were about to enter her great grandmother’s room, but they stopped, when they heard her talking. They thought someone was in her room but soon they realized she was alone.
As they started to listen, Callie quickly hit the record button on her phone recording her great grandmother. “We would love to hear it” Ryan said. Everyone shook their heads in agreement. They all listened intently to the sweet voice of Callie’s great-grandmother.
“Oh Father, you are so good. God, Father, thank you Father for everything you have done for me. You are a good God. You are so good. God, Father. I love You, but I still need Your help, Father. Thank You, Lord, thank You for who You are. Thank You for Who You are. Thank You for all You’ve done, I love You, Father.” Callie said it was just last Sunday when the preacher’s sermon was from 1st Chronicles 16.
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name. Sing to Him, sing praises to him.”
“Remember the wondrous works that He has done!” Dilbert said, “It sounds to me like your great grandmother might have forgotten family and friends, but her memory is better than most people I know when it comes to remembering the Lord, Her God.” There were tears in everyone’s eyes now at which point Molly MacIntosh quoted Romans 8:37-39.
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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