Healing & Alzheimers

Nicole got back safe and sound from her "Torrents of Hope" weekend this afternoon. We were all happy to see her, especially the kids.

Sounds like it was a profitable and intense retreat. Nicole speaks so highly about the course that she should become a saleswoman for it. God has obviously been doing a lot of inner healing in her through it that she's a changed person.

While I'm thrilled to see her healing, it's sad to see my mother struggling to remember things and look for words. Whether it's Alzheimers or whatever, she's not the same outgoing, articulate woman that I remember growing up with. Quite a few people have prayed for her, including for her healing. At this point, I'm really now quite sure how to pray for her situation. How much of her condition is physical? How much of it is spiritual? How much of it is psychological? Some speculate that there might be some generational sin that needs to be dealt with.

It's hard to believe sometimes that this is the woman who gave me birth and who raised me. I get irritated sometimes about her repeatedly asking the same question, as she forgets a lot. But then I feel upset at myself for not being patient with the woman who changed my diapers and answered thousands of my questions when I was little. It's very strange to think that Joel and Emma may get frustrated with me if and when I'm an older person and need their parenting.

I guess this is part of the reality of being in the "sandwich generation." It's good to have her and my dad around this couple of weeks to be part of our lives and our kids' lives. I'm taking lots of photos and video of this special time.

Whether or not she ever gets healed of this in this life, I am encouraged by the realization that someday she'll be completely whole. I wonder what age we'll look like when we're in heaven?