Thursday, December 11, 2014

Rooted


This autumn I have been taking pictures of fallen leaves. The colors have been so beautiful, and the light sometimes gives a sense of a magic carpet that has been laid down for us.  Therefore, when I saw the leaves in the attached picture, my first thought was that they had fallen from a nearby tree.  I quickly learned my assumption was wrong.  The leaves were very much attached to stems, and the stems were very much rooted in the damp earth.  This is a picture of something vital, beautiful, and very much alive.  
 
Last week, I saw Rita.  I met her early in my ministry, and I have always enjoyed her company. She is from the south, and when she was healthier she was the epitome of a gracious southern belle:  beautifully coiffed, friendly, humorous, and more than a little bit flirty.   Her Alzheimer's even then was apparent, but for quite awhile she was able to work around it.  Of course, that strategy works only for so long.  Eventually, her family moved her from the community where I met her, and I lost track of her for some time.  
 
She has since surfaced in another community, one that I like very much.  However, her illness has progressed substantially, and most of the time she does not respond to my greetings.   Nonetheless, when the assistant brought her into the worship service, I was glad to see her, and went over to say hello.  Again, no visable response.  
 
This community loves Christmas carols, and we weave them into our services all year long.  On this day, just before communion, I asked the pianist to simply play one of the carols, and I encouraged us all just to sit and listen.  I can't even remember what carol he chose. However, as he played, I noticed that Rita was leaning forward with her head cocked to one side.  A beautiful smile was on her face.  I do not know if she was simply listening, or if she was seeing a moment from another time.  We do not know these things.  However, I am convinced that she was very much present in the moment, whatever moment she was experiencing, and that she was happy and at peace.  That is truly all I need to know.    
  
It is easy to simply dismiss those with advanced Alzheimer's as "out of it."  They may indeed be outside our understanding of the "it" we think of as the present.  However, we are all rooted and grounded in God's love, and those roots cannot be severed.  Memories may not be easy to access, but as long as we who can do so keep reaching out, offering the communion of music, touch, prayer, and love, memories and presence can surface. Often, they are beautiful; rich enough to even catch our attention, and our hearts.

 
 
I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you will have the power to grasp love's width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.  I ask that you'll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. 

Ephesians 3:17-19  





No comments:

Post a Comment