I’ve always been fascinated by the Indy 500. Men in fast cars racing around in a circle at break-neck speeds, screeching to a halt to get fueled up or to replace parts, then racing off again. On the surface, they accomplish very little because they end up in the same place where they started. However, they risked life and limb to get there.
The Peel
I remember watching the Indy 500 with Ben many years ago. He enjoyed watching the race then, but now I realize how much he lives it!
He has an intense drive to move forward on whatever is in front of him. When he feels tired, he screeches to a halt and barks orders at his pit crew, and then is ready to burn rubber again. He feels like he is accomplishing something and the adrenalin feeds him. He has unbroken focus on the task at hand and nothing can deter him. Everything else falls by the wayside when there is a race to be had. He has a one track mind.
The Fruit
I have heard others mention that one’s personality becomes even more so when they get dementia. In Ben’s case, I would agree. He was the one everyone wanted on their committee because he always threw himself full throttle into a situation with lots of energy. But, he was also quick to move on to the next exciting adventure when the committee started losing its charm.
I don’t think everyone with dementia will be as high intensity as Ben. I think he is high intensity because he was always that way. He just has lost his ability to control his speed and step on the brakes. That has become our role as caretakers.
We are the fans in the stands cheering him on. We are the pit crew in between laps. And we are the brakes, the steering wheel, and the various gauges on the dashboard. Sometimes it’s hard to know which one to be, or how to operate effectively. Sometimes we “crash and burn”, but we always start the next day with another lap around the racetrack.
***
Lord, help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and not grow weary.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.
Hebrews 12:1-3 New English Translation (NET Bible)
Comments