Accept, thank, trust

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me..." -- Psalm 23:4 (NAB)

I'm aware of two women in our parish who have been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease, one in her late 50s and the other in her early 60s. One of them, Myriam, has written, with the help of some friends, an inspiring article that appears in the January 2013 issue of The Word Among Us.

No matter whether you have been personally impacted by this dread disease or not, I encourage you to read the article. You can access it online by clicking here.  In addition to her reflections on the spiritual side of her journey, it also includes some practical suggestions for dealing with memory loss that would be invaluable both for the person directly affected and for his or her caregivers and other loved ones.

Myriam described three steps that the Lord has led her through in dealing with her Alzheimer's: to accept it, to thank Him for it, and to "embrace the journey with trust in God’s love and wisdom." Those same three steps can, by the grace of God, enable us to deal with whatever "valley of the shadow of death" that the Lord may choose to lead us through. For no matter what our circumstances may be, He is always and forever our Good Shepherd.