As we continue to celebrate the successful launch of the transformative book “Journeying Together” by Deacon Joseph Cortis and Pia Matthews, we’d like to highlight a special piece that was shared during the launch event in June – “A Psalm for Those Journeying Together with Dementia”. Penned with profound empathy and insight, this poem delicately captures the profound experiences of caregivers navigating the path of dementia. It is a poetic journey of love, resilience, and unwavering strength. Intricately tied to the narratives explored in “Journeying Together”, this Psalm elevates the book’s essential message of shared struggle and enduring spirit. Witness its heartfelt recitation in our attached video link, or delve into the text for a quiet, personal reflection below.
Lord, you have searched for me and know me as I am.
If I feel lost, you can find me, still.
You understand the thoughts of my heart
even when words escape from me.
You perceive the way I have in mind
when my friends cannot see the road ahead.
You pick up the fragments of my desires,
provide loving hands to weave these threads
into garments to protect me.
Even if I forget to praise you, your faithfulness
feeds me; you remember my history,
and share all my discoveries.
Lord, you search with us, and know how we long
to make smooth the path for our companions,
sweeping away the obstacles that trip them up.
When we are bruised and feel broken,
you soothe us with your wounded hands;
when our heads ache and spin,
you lift from them your crown of thorns.
When loneliness closes us in,
your presence opens new doors. When we stumble,
you are there to steady our steps.
The knowledge of you shines on our high spirits,
and brightens our lowest moments.
Lord, you will always know your sheep and search for them,
the ram, the yearling, the ewe, and lead us
to the fold, safe from the wolves of the world.
You will place your laughter in our mouths,
even as our eyes shed your tears.
You nourish us at your table,
and refresh our thirsty souls with grace.
We are yoked with you in a trinity of care –
needed, given, received.
All the day long, you walk with us,
and when the night closes in, and darkness falls
there you are, beside us, our place of rest.
Hannah Stone, poet-theologian to Leeds Church Institute , June 2023