Dedication

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3

This manifesto is dedicated to my mother.

For eight and a half years I had the privilege of caring for her as Alzheimer’s and dementia slowly took hold of the body that once cared for me. Many would call this the work of a caregiver. I have come to understand it differently. I became what I now call a carepreparer—one who prepares the final chapter of life with humility, patience, and love.

When I first returned home, I was a lost sheep. Yet through those quiet years of service, repentance, and reflection, the Lord used the life of my mother to call me back to Himself. Even as her mind was fading, the Holy Spirit was still teaching.

My mother was the daughter of a preacher. My grandfather faithfully pastored churches and raised his family in the Word of God. That inheritance of faith did not end with his generation. Through the life of my mother—and through the years I was entrusted to care for her—the Lord restored my faith and turned a wandering son into a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Of all the accomplishments a man may pursue in this life, none will ever surpass the privilege of honoring the woman who brought him into the world. Serving my mother became the instrument God used to restore my soul.

With continued vigilance and repentance, I trust that one day I will see her again in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  

— Proverbs 22:6

In loving memory of my beautiful mother.