Count Your Blessings

This morning, I was awakened by a song.... But first, let me tell the background story.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I work with people who have dementia (Alzheimer's, Vascular, Parkinson's, etc.) Often, things get misplaced, but usually show up. I always encourage families to label items, and if they are very attached to an item and concerned that it may get lost, they should probably not leave it at the facility.  Otherwise, they should decorate the person's room to be as homelike and familiar, as possible.  People in the later stages of dementia begin to misplace items like glasses, dentures and hearing aides, as these are foreign objects. 

Yesterday, as I entered the door, a nurse met me to tell me that a resident had been assisted to the floor to prevent her from falling during a faint. It turned out to be a rather big ordeal as the nurse was going to send her to the hospital and family didn't wish for that.  As I was being briefed on this, a nurse's aide informed me that Mrs. "Smith's" left hearing aide was missing.  I was very alarmed by this, as her family had been very adamant that her hearing aides stay in a certain location when not in use and that she is "deaf" without them.  Although Mrs. "Smith" has pronounced hearing loss, she is not deaf without them and I would have never guessed that she didn't have it, when I approached her.  However, we turned her room upside down.  I spent two hours solid on and off through the day looking through her room, laundry, trash bins, pockets, bed linens etc. 

When I called the family, they were obviously disturbed and somewhat upset.  I profusely apologized to the family, but I could tell they were very unhappy and felt dreadfully stressed by this.  I prayed all day long and reminded God of His promise: Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. But all day long and no avail.

We had several other events pop up through the day that was out of the norm for others- an unexplained bruise that appeared to be weeks old, but no one had seen it two days before (including myself), a gentlemen begin to actively die.  But the hearing aide was really stressing me. 

I came home and tried to relax, but it plagued me all evening. I prayed through Tehillim (psalms of David in Hebrew) and continued to ask God to help us find it.  I reminded Him that He is Omniscient - knowing all things and knows where that hearing aide is, but if its not His will to let us find to give me peace about it.

I awoke this morning at 5am - 40 minutes before the clock went off with a song playing in my head "Count Your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done." I looked up the words and sang them while getting dressed for work and the first verse was for me: When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, and you are discouraged thinking all is lost. Count your blessings name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.  I sat down and began to write about the things God has done for me.  I began to rejoice. 

When I got to work, I was hoping that it had been found, but it had not.  Through the morning, I kept visiting with the gentleman that was passing, reading Psalms, singing songs and praying with him. As I came out, mid-morning, the nurse stopped me and said, "Mrs. "Smith's" family called and said they found the hearing aide in their belongings." We all shouted and danced for joy.  GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!