Meditation:
Every morning I walk through the “valley of the shadow of death” and yet “I fear no evil”. God is with me; his promise and love comfort me.
Family: Yes, family is involved in that.
I go to the nursing home every morning to feed Judy, my wife of nearly 50 years. She was diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s Disease in 1998 at age 57. She has been confined to a nursing home for almost 7 years now. Most of the residents of the home are so near to the end of their lives I feel the valley of the shadow of death applies.
During the process of Judy progressing from early onset to full blown Alzheimer’s the motivation to pray and the way I went about it changed considerably. We were so blessed that both Judy and I are totally confident in our relationship with God and that some day we will be with him that that was not something I would pray about or for; only thanksgiving for that blessing. As God took little pieces and parts of my Judy to be with him and she lost more and more of herself in this place, that confidence was and is such a comfort to me and our family.
The biggest change in the way I prayed came in the area of control. During the long process leading up to her leaving home it became more and more obvious and humbling that I had no control at all and my only option, my only option, was to turn it totally over to God. I don’t know that my prayers could ever be more basic than that. My prayer became, “Thank you, Lord, for your saving grace.”
It continues to be that and the things that at one time were so important to me have faded and my prayers center mostly on people, members of my family, including mostly, my church family. God has blessed me with praying daughters and sons in law and for that I am grateful.
-Jerry Selby
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