by Linda Cox

 

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name

that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:9-10)



What began as a simple evening of Christmas caroling was transformed by God’s presence into a visit to holy ground.


Our group of carolers arrived at a residential facility for severely disabled children and young adults at suppertime. The dining room was filled with a cacophony of noise. Aides were seated at the tables next to each resident. Many were not able to sit upright, and most could not feed themselves or speak intelligibly.


Quite frankly, none of us were really prepared for what we had just walked into, but we started singing. The aides sang along, enjoying the music. The residents, however, seemed totally oblivious to the music as we sang over the din. After several carols, our leader, who later said the Holy Spirit led him, started singing “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.”


As we joined in, the noise in the room subsided. Residents started looking at us, several swaying with the music. Many were clearly saying the word “Jesus.” We sang the song over and over with tears flowing down our faces. The presence of the Lord was there, allowing us to experience a truly anointed moment.


I cherished the memory of that evening, thankful to have been a part of it. But with time, the memory faded. Not lost, just tucked away inside my mind, stored there by the Lord for His appointed time.


That time came when I was facing my father’s descent into the darkness of Alzheimer’s Disease. He was disappearing before my very eyes. Fearful of what lay ahead for him,  tears became a common occurrence for me. And then one day God brought the memory back. I gasped as I once again “saw” those severely disabled young adults mouthing the name “Jesus.”


In that moment, God assured me that no matter how far into the darkness of Alzheimer’s my father would descend, no matter what physical and mental abilities he lost, no matter if he forgot who Mom or I was, Daddy would never forget Jesus, His Lord and Savior. And Jesus would never forget him. I was reminded once again what those young adults knew—there is no other name like Jesus.