Guest post by Mandy Grant

A long time ago, I worked on an Alzheimer’s unit. Something that always amazed me was how many of the residents forgot their own names—but those who were saved still remembered the name of Jesus.

I’ll never forget one afternoon in particular. I was at the med cart handing out medications during lunch, and the dining room was full of the usual noise and chatter. At one table, a group of little ladies were singing “Jesus Loves Me.” Every few minutes, they’d stop singing just long enough to argue with each other about something they didn’t remember five minutes later—then go right back to singing about Jesus.

It made me smile then. It still does.

I witnessed this kind of thing many times: people who couldn’t tell you the day, the year, or even who their own family members were. But when someone began to sing a hymn or mention the name of the Lord, something sparked in them. A light flickered in their eyes. Some would hum along or softly sing a few familiar lines. It wasn’t perfect, and they didn’t remember every word—but the ones they did remember were full of meaning. There was a warmth, a recognition that ran deeper than memory.

It was more than muscle memory. It wasn’t just habit or routine. It was something rooted in their spirit.

The name of Jesus had made its home in them long before Alzheimer’s set in, and no amount of confusion could evict it. That name had settled into a part of them that the disease couldn’t reach.

Working on that unit taught me many things. One truth stands out most: our minds may fade, but the Spirit holds fast. When everything else slips away, Jesus doesn’t. His name remains. His love lingers. The soul remembers what the mind forgets.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:27–28 ESV

Mandy Grant is a nurse who has been caring for patients since 2001. She also walked the deeply personal journey of Alzheimer’s alongside her mother, who passed away in 2022. Mandy is a devoted wife, mother to three adult children, mother-in-law to two daughters-in-law, and proud “Mimi” to two beloved grandchildren. She enjoys writing, sharing the gospel, and encouraging others through her ministry on Twitter, where she can be found at @springsteps. Her children’s book, Adventures of Addison: Backyard Mystery, released in August 2025.

Tracy Crump dispenses hope in her award-winning book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness (CrossLink Publishing: 2021). A former intensive care nurse, she cared for her parents and her mother-in-law and understands both the burdens and joys of caregiving. Her devotions have been featured in Guideposts books, The Upper Room, and many other publications, and she has contributed 26 stories to Chicken Soup for the Soul® books. She also conducts writing workshops, produces a newsletter for writers, and does freelance editing. But her most important job is Grandma to five completely unspoiled grandchildren.