Answers
By Billy Graham • August 15, 2017 • Topics: Aging
Q:
I'm very discouraged, because a few weeks ago the doctor diagnosed my husband with signs of dementia, and he said it's only going to get worse. I guess I'm not surprised, but I don't know how I'm going to manage. We're both getting older, and we need your prayers.
A:
Watching a loved one gradually lose their physical and mental abilities as they grow older is surely one of life’s hardest burdens, and my heart goes out to you. The Bible tells us to “Carry each other’s burdens,” and one of the ways we do this is by praying for each other (Galatians 6:2). May you sense even today the prayers of God’s people.
But God also knows what you’re going through, and He always will be with you and your husband. If you know Christ, you are part of His family—both now, and throughout all eternity. Even when life grows difficult, take time to give thanks for this great truth. As I’ve grown older myself, I’ve often taken comfort from God’s words to Isaiah—and I pray you will too: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (Isaiah 46:4).
What can you do to help both you and your husband? First, find out as much as you can about his condition, and what you can expect in the future; your doctor can help you with this. In addition, let your family and friends know of your concerns.
Most of all, ask God to help you to be the kind of wife your husband needs today—just as you’ve been in the past. Don’t rebuke him when his memory fails, but be patient and gentle and kind—just as you’d want him to be with you.
