Thursday, March 05, 2009

Senior Saints...

I adore elderly people. I think they are precious. This love has grown in me over many years and now I have a passion to serve them and to love on them. In one of my Social Work practicum classes I was blessed to work in a nursing center so I could be around senior saints all the time. I absolutely loved it. Every Tuesday all of the men and women would get together and play Bingo and I adored spending quality time with them as they interacted with one another and with me. One of my favorite things about the elderly population is that I learn so much from them. It truly is amazing what can be learned if you just sit and spend time talking and getting to know their stories. And the really fun part is that they are so eager to share with you. I think anyone can make a lasting difference in someone else's life if they show them a genuine interest and concern. I absolutely loved roaming the halls, knocking on doors, and stepping into one of the men or women's lives for a while. But as is the case in every nursing home, there were also those that were invisible to their families. By that I mean that some of the resident's families did not take the time or energy to come and visit them and to let them know that they were still significant and held an important place in their lives. There were some who spent hours a day just staring at the wall. That broke my heart. It seemed that their spirits were just wasting away and I found that these precious people were so hungry for meaningful interaction. Those are the ones who blessed me the most. After I spent time with them, it seemed like the Lord always found a way to say thank you for my effort and encouragement. In my mind, there is absolutely nothing that is more important than showing someone that he or she is immensely loved and significant. That is my passion. That is the mission of my life--to encourage others and to let them know that I see them and most importantly that their lives are worth something to me and to the Lord. I am so thankful the Lord gave me senior saints to amire, respect, love, and encourage.

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