Dave’s mother-in-law has Alzheimer’s Disease.  Her short-term memory is long gone.  Her husband was admitted to the hospital but she forgot.  She came into the kitchen unsteady on her walker: Where’s Paul?  “He went to the hospital and will be there overnight, but he’ll be back home tomorrow.”  Oh, OK.

Twenty minutes later she came back to the kitchen.  Where’s Paul?  Again in a very gentle voice her son-in-law explained, “He went to the hospital and will be there overnight, but he’ll be back home tomorrow.”  Oh, OK.

Twenty minutes later she came into the kitchen with fear in her eyes.  Where’s Paul!?!  Again as if for the first time, “He went to the hospital and will be there overnight, but he’ll be back home tomorrow.”  Oh, OK.

As many times as she asked, Dave was ready to answer her in a gentle, reassuring tone.  As many times as she needed to be comforted in her fear, he was there to be present with her.

Perhaps we are like an Alzheimer’s patient in our prayers to God.  We fear the same scenarios again and again, but God says: Do not fear; I will be with you.  We worry that we are not working hard enough, but God say: I love you just as you are.  We despair that perhaps we are not holy enough or not worthy of a blessing, and surely the Holy One is tired of our whining, but God says as if for the first time: I love you, I created you, I saved you.  God’s patience and tender-love is eternal.  And when we forget, God remembers.