Spiritual Care Newsletter: July 2016

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At Emerald Crest, the Spiritual Care programming is developed with the cognitive levels of each individual in mind. Our goal is to make a spiritual connection to the person whose cognitive changes would otherwise prevent her from embracing the comfort and joy found in the practice of her faith and spirituality.

This week our sermon story in all the houses was about the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes.  It is a vivid retelling about how just a ridiculously small bit of food multiplied to feed 5,000 people with 12 baskets left over. Jesus performed a wonderful miracle on that grassy hillside that day feeding those who would have been left hungry. The story is told vividly in all four Gospels. What I love in the telling of the story is how it captures the everyday miracle—and challenge—of living in faith in God’s abundance.

Sometimes when faced with what seem to be enormous challenges, our inner resources seem like that tiny basket of 5 loaves and 2 fish, ridiculously small and completely inadequate to the task. It is easy to feel overwhelmed. The basket inside us often seems small as we struggle to take care of, and let go of, our loved one in this disease. But with faith and the support of others who have been through these same challenges, we can expand and multiply our strengths.  At Emerald Crest in Burnsville on the second Tuesdays of the month, we have a caregiver’s support group.  After a light meal, we talk about a topic that is relevant to caregivers. It is a warm welcoming group which nourishes both body and spirit. Support and connection as you move forward on this path with your loved one will strengthen and nourish you and in what I hope will be an everyday miracle, multiply your blessings during a time of change and shift in expectations. Peace be with you, and I look forward to meeting you.