Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Yet. A three-letter word. Who knew it could pack so much punch? Who knew such a small word could bring so much hope?
Yet.
In the passage from Habakkuk, the fig tree is empty, the vines are empty, the fields are empty, and the stalls are empty. Empty.
Yet.
There is rejoicing and joy. Why? “The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” There’s life-giving strength from the Sovereign Lord for those who take hope in him, even while still experiencing emptiness.
Life will eventually bring us circumstances that yield the emotion of emptiness. Yet. That small but powerful word again. The reality of a pandemic has brought this very emotion to many of us, and it has had a severe impact on the elderly–particularly, the elderly who are isolated in senior care facilities or their own homes without interaction and the life-giving joy of engaging with others.
Yet.
The pandemic adds another degree to “empty,” that of loneliness. This is the reality of the intense effect COVID-19 has upon those struggling with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Dementia is soothed by routine, familiarity, and consistency. The pandemic forced change in each of these areas. Add isolation due to social distancing, and the loneliness is now the uninvited close companion of dementia. It can induce a steep decline in the journey of an already formidable foe, the dementia itself.
My momma has Alzheimer’s disease. COVID-19 has escalated the progression of her disease. It has increased paranoia, anger, reckless and hurtful words, uncontrollable crying, and a new level of chaos in her thinking and extreme confusion. The lack of routine, familiarity, and engagement with others induced much more than the mere inconvenience of a 6-foot separation requirement.
While this very writing was in process, the reality of COVID-19’s impact became personal. My sister and I were notified by my momma’s Independent/Assisted Living facility that her decline now required transition to a memory care facility. And so this writing paused, and we moved our momma to memory care. Amidst COVID-19. The move itself required a 14-day quarantine upon admittance to memory care.
Yet.
“I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
How? The dementia is real. The disease is in a spiral. How does my momma rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God her Savior? How do I rejoice in the Lord and in God my Savior?
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Why be joyful when a disease is deteriorating your loved one’s mind? Because of God our Savior. The dementia is unable to separate my momma from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus her Lord.
Yet.
No doubt, her eroding situation is our reality. Yet her Savior, Jesus Christ, is her saving reality. He defeated death.
This Yet is also for me. I grieve the reality that this disease has stolen so much and will steal more. Most likely, there will be a day when my momma no longer knows her own–me.
Yet.
My hope, too, is in God my Savior. I experience joy as I saturate my mind with his truth and promises–specifically, the truth that this disease cannot separate my momma from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus her Savior. I see that truth despite Alzheimer’s. She proclaims her faith in Jesus Christ confidently, adamantly, and with great authority. She is not confused about the promises made to her in God’s Word. Her countenance shifts, her face and eyes sparkle with the mention of her Savior. Her spirit and soul still recognize truth. The Truth.
Yet.
Kelly Packard has been a member of Faith for 12 years. She has spent her professional career as a college/pro women’s basketball coach. At Faith, Kelly serves as a writer for the blog and The Perspective, and she participates in Stephen Ministry. She loves affirming the promises of God from his Word through writing. Kelly is from Ohio and enjoys time with her family and friends, drinking coffee and exercise.