When I was in the hospital in 2025 I had to spend two months in a Transition Unit with 30 Dementia patients. Some were very advanced.
There was a man there named Norbert. He couldn't speak anymore and would become violent sometimes. They discovered that Norbert responded well to listening to music so one of the staff ladies would play music on a tablet and sing a long with it. Somewhere they learned Norbert used to be a Church Choir Director so they put on a Playlist of "Old Gospel Hymns" while the staff member sang a long.
She wasn't too shabby with "Amazing Grace" but was lost with "The Old Rugged Cross" 😣
YIKES! 😬
Enter Laura-Lee. 😃
It was my third day in the Unit and I was rolling around in my wheelchair and was drawn by the hymns.
I rolled over and asked if I could join in.
From the "Old Rugged Cross" to "Bringing in the Sheaves" and by the time we hit, "I Need Thee Every Hour" Norbert had joined in. Norbert and I finished with "How Great Thou Art" and the other patients with Dementia lining the hallways in their diapers and tied into their chairs had stopped fussing.
Many of the other patients and Healthcare Aids had paused to listen.
By regular human standards I suppose Norbert and I didn't sound so great, but to everyone stuck in that dark place (and to Heaven) we probably sounded pretty good.
It also was the answer to my prayer from that morning.
"Lord, why in the world do I have to be in this horrible place?" ðŸ˜
His answer was,
"Because this is where I am and I need you to be here with me for awhile."
Remember... Jesus carries the BIG cross and we carry a small, daily version so we can taste what the Lord is suffering through as He stays close to His suffering children.
And as far as Norbert was concerned,
what his brain couldn't remember his heart did and Jesus still lived inside of him.
And someday ALL Followers of Jesus will lose our old, sick bodies dump our crosses of suffering for our new Resurrected bodies and Crown of Righteousness given to us by Jesus.
Hallelujah ❗️
The Truth with Love
Always Laura-Lee
Treat for scrolling to the end is
Link "How Great Thou Art" sung by Selah
