Glimpses of Grace
Glimpses of Grace, Vol. 2: And Grace Will Lead Us Home
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Excerpt
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How Do You Live In "Worse"?
It was 38 years ago on January 15, 1977, that we promised each other “for better or for worse.” When you are young and in love and the horizon is not in sight, you cannot imagine that there will ever be a “worse.” And you certainly would never imagine the person you will be spending your life with would eventually begin forgetting your name and that you are his wife.
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When you are first married, you have boundless dreams and hopes for the future—the world is, in fact, your oyster. You have children, a career, and hobbies. You save money for retirement so you and your spouse can enjoy your “golden years.”
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However, Alzheimer’s has currently robbed the golden years from an estimated 5.2 million Americans currently diagnosed with the disease, including approximately 200,000 individuals younger than age 65 who have early-onset Alzheimer’s (source: alz.org). Byron is one of those individuals.
So, what do you do when the life that you knew is no more, and the “worse” that was previously theoretical is now standing in your doorway?
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First you keep your promise: “...for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance.”
What do you do next?
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You cry and grieve, then you get angry and shake your fist at God, then you cry and grieve some more. Eventually, you will either become one of those relentlessly bitter people, or you will decide to accept what cannot be changed, although you will continue to cry and grieve on occasion. You pray for guidance and strength to know how to love and cherish your spouse through Alzheimer’s. You also pray that God will somehow use you both through the “worse” to make a difference to someone else.
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The good thing about “worse” is it’s down in the nitty-gritty, back-to-basics, this-is-what-it’s-all-about part of life. You are given an opportunity to live out your faith, which you may have only given lip service to previously. You are in a place where the rubber meets the road. No matter how many mistakes you have made in your life, you are given a chance to walk through the fire with Him and finish well.
Glimpses of Grace, Vol.1: Walking in Hope through Alzheimer's and Ordinary Days
Excerpt
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Preface​
Many of the essays in this book chronicle how living with Alzheimer’s has affected our family and our faith as we continue to walk this road. There are a variety of other stories, reflections and humorous observations, also. Our road weaves through light and laughter and alongside the quiet grace of ordinary days.
In these writings I choose to acknowledge but not focus on the negative aspects of living with the disease, but rather on how God is working through it as our family seeks to walk with His provision and strength. His grace is the golden thread that binds us together. Glimpses of this grace, like shooting stars, have consistently penetrated our darkness and illuminated a basic truth: all is grace.
Therefore, the overlying theme of the book is not about a disease but rather about God’s grace, hope and provision in all circumstances. The purpose of the book is to point towards God as the source of strength and light. I pray it will serve as a vehicle for giving Him the glory."
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
— Psalm 9:1, 2 (NIV)