I was reminded of something I hadn’t thought about in years…..when we lived in Montgomery, Bill’s Mother and Uncle lived with us. Uncle Harry was a WW II veteran who had served in North Africa. He was a bachelor and had a stroke when he was about 65, shortly after retiring from the Post Office as a custodian. He was somewhat embittered by some circumstances of his life and less than kind to his sister, my mother-in law, at times though she gave him compassionate care until he died, during the 7 years he lived with her and us. She lived with us for 2 more years after his death, when she died. . There were nights when she was exhausted and he was restless and demanding. I would sit with him while he fretted and yelled and tossed and turned. I would sing, read, pray, and just watch helplessly as he appeared to be in mental distress. Thinking back on it now, I suspect he may have suffered from PTSD, as well as the serious results of his strokes. .
There was also a kind man who was a lay trained Stephen minister from our church who came several afternoons a month and sat with him for 2-4 hours, watched TV (mostly WWII movies, I think) with him, and listened to his recollections many times, I am sure. We were grateful for his kindness to Uncle Harry, who seemed to really enjoy their visits. Bill’s Mother looked forward to the respite from her diligence and step-n-fetching to keep Uncle Harry pacified that he could sometimes demand. Those were difficult years for her and for our children, too, as few of their friends had such arrangements with elderly relatives at that time. We now have many friends who have elderly relatives in their homes. There is a great need for respite care for those with Alzheimer’s or just friendly visitors to come in and give family members a break for a few hours. Recently, our church trained a new group of 4 lay pastors, so that we now have about 25 or more. Pray for those who take on such sacrificial gifts of their time to fill a few pleasant hours with homebound, disabled, elderly people . You will never know how much it can mean to someone in the declining days of their lives……and to their family. Our lay pastors will be recognized this Sunday. Pray for them as they make themselves available to be used to encourage others, provide care, and serve families in many ways.