Sad Day

[CC1]

I spent a lot of today with a very close friend who about a year ago was diagnosed with early onset dementia at the young age of 55. Those of us close to him feel that he actually began suffering from this several years before he was diagnosed.

I had not seen him for about six months and was hoping his medication was helping keep the dementia at bay. The change in this person is heartbreaking.

In a shallow two or three minute conversation he appears to pretty much be himself but he no longer can really carry on a conversation beyond simple exchanges. Even then he sometimes struggles for the right words to come out and you can tell that the word that does is not the one he really wanted to use. Sometimes they make sense and sometimes don't.

In conversation today I found out that he could not remember what year he got married and he would call people by the wrong names which I knew because based on the other parts of the conversation I knew who he really meant.

This man was a Pentecostal preacher who has started churches from nothing and taken small run down churches and fixed up the physical plants and pastored the people with love and dedication. The last church he pastored he was there 7 years in a church that had chewed up and spit out pastors an average of once every two years over the 50 year history of the church.

I know that he has a desire to witness and conduct bible studies even today but in his present condition there is no way he could do that. Very sad situation. This is one of those life situations that we just don't have any answers for and have to trust God.

[Irreligious]

Originally Posted by CC1

I spent a lot of today with a very close friend who about a year ago was diagnosed with early onset dementia at the young age of 55. Those of us close to him feel that he actually began suffering from this several years before he was diagnosed.

I had not seen him for about six months and was hoping his medication was helping keep the dementia at bay. The change in this person is heartbreaking.

In a shallow two or three minute conversation he appears to pretty much be himself but he no longer can really carry on a conversation beyond simple exchanges. Even then he sometimes struggles for the right words to come out and you can tell that the word that does is not the one he really wanted to use. Sometimes they make sense and sometimes don't.

In conversation today I found out that he could not remember what year he got married and he would call people by the wrong names which I knew because based on the other parts of the conversation I knew who he really meant.

This man was a Pentecostal preacher who has started churches from nothing and taken small run down churches and fixed up the physical plants and pastored the people with love and dedication. The last church he pastored he was there 7 years in a church that had chewed up and spit out pastors an average of once every two years over the 50 year history of the church.

I know that he has a desire to witness and conduct bible studies even today but in his present condition there is no way he could do that. Very sad situation. This is one of those life situations that we just don't have any answers for and have to trust God.

Wow....this makes all our discussions seem so trivial. I heard someone say recently that, "We trust Him even when we cannot trace Him." Please accept my sympathy, support, and prayers.

[*AQuietPlace*]

I'm sorry, that is truly sad, and one of life's great mysteries. May God give him peace inside.

[Sister Alvear]

that is so sad...I will be praying for him.

[SeekingOne]

Oh how sad. If God does not wish to heal him in this life, I pray that he will not have a long life here on earth. Who knows though, what God has planned for him and those that come in contact with him? It truly is a mystery and challenges our faith in these situations.

I know someone that had a relative that lived to be almost 100 years old, and that person was bed ridden and blind for many of their last years. At the time, nobody could see why God would keep this person alive in this miserable state.

Years later, because of the witness of this person always talking about Jesus to all who came to visit, my friend came to believe in Christ in a crisis. They remembered the faith of this person, even though they were in pain, blind and bed ridden, and it encouraged them to turn to God in their crisis.

Sorry for the long story, but I wanted to encourage me and you all that even though we don't understand why others that love God and their families must suffer, but God DOES have a plan.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by SeekingOne

Oh how sad. If God does not wish to heal him in this life, I pray that he will not have a long life here on earth. Who knows though, what God has planned for him and those that come in contact with him? It truly is a mystery and challenges our faith in these situations.

I know someone that had a relative that lived to be almost 100 years old, and that person was bed ridden and blind for many of their last years. At the time, nobody could see why God would keep this person alive in this miserable state.

Years later, because of the witness of this person always talking about Jesus to all who came to visit, my friend came to believe in Christ in a crisis. They remembered the faith of this person, even though they were in pain, blind and bed ridden, and it encouraged them to turn to God in their crisis.

Sorry for the long story, but I wanted to encourage me and you all that even though we don't understand why others that love God and their families must suffer, but God DOES have a plan.

Thanks for sharing this. It does show that many times we can't see a purpose with our understanding but there really is one.

[Scott Hutchinson]

The Lord knows those that are His,and even though we don't always understand the ways of The Lord,He knows best and I'm sorry to hear about this dear one.