It has been about two months since I arrived in Japan with my husband, Shingo, to visit his family and churches within his denomination. During this time, we have been sharing his ministry report and encouraging Japanese Christians to be involved in God’s mission before we return to Thailand.
One testimony I heard during a cell group meeting at a church member’s home deeply moved me.
A pastor shared about a recent visit to his mother, who has dementia and lives in an elderly care home. When he arrived, she did not recognise him and wondered who he was. He gave her a framed copy of The Lord’s Prayer. As she read it, she suddenly began reciting the prayer from memory. When she finished, she continued praying aloud to God.
In her prayer, she told God that her roommate had recently passed away and that she felt lonely. She said she could not remember anyone. Then she mentioned that a name had suddenly come to mind. Although she did not know who that person was, she prayed for him. The name she spoke was the name of her son, who was standing right in front of her.
She also prayed for the stranger who had come to visit her and for his family, saying that having family is a blessing and that we should cherish them.
The pastor then showed us a video of his mother praying in Japanese. There was hardly a dry eye in the room. Here was a faithful woman who had forgotten her family because of dementia, yet she had not forgotten how to pray and cry out to God.
A friend who was translating for me quietly said, “Even when we forget everything, God never forgets us.”
It was a heartbreaking yet beautiful picture of God’s grace and love. It reminded me that our hope in Christ is not dependent on our circumstances, our abilities, or even our memory. Through every season of life, God remains faithful, holding us securely in His hands.
Cherlyn Oh
