Leviticus 19:32
I command you to show respect for older people and to obey me with fear and trembling.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a teenager, our neighbor, Mr. Good, recruited me to go with him and his wife one evening each week to our local nursing home to conduct a worship service. I played the piano for the residents to sing hymns, and then Mr. Good “preached.” I have to tell you, he was pretty boring as a speaker. But those people didn’t care, because he spent all manner of time with them before and after the service… and that was what they really wanted and needed. I am sure that Tuesday night was the highlight of the week for many of them! I visited with some of the residents, but mostly with my Aunt Faye, who was a resident there. A double-amputee as a result of diabetes, Aunt Faye looked forward to my visits, and I always enjoyed spending time with her. I cannot recall anything we discussed… and I probably dreaded going a lot of nights… but I always felt better after I had been.
In the 40 years since, I have spent a lot of time going to nursing homes and visiting with elderly people. I helped care for my mother’s parents as they aged and entered a nursing home… and I was the guardian for my grandmother for more than a decade. Additionally, Greg has delivered Meals on Wheels for a number of years now… and he and I delivered the meals together back in the late 1980s. I can tell you that we have seen a lot of lonely older folks… people whose faces light up with joy and delight at just the two-or-three-minute encounter they have with someone who delivers a hot meal each weekday – or a hug or handshake and a “hello” as we passed through the lobby or dining hall at a residential facility. I’ve seen people in nursing homes and the Assisted Living Facility who were, for all practical purposes, dumped there… people who never get a visit from a family member… people who have no one to care about them except the staff members. As one man put it one day when I knelt down to hug him and ask about his day said… “It just got a whole lot better now!”
When my grandmother was living at the Assisted Living Facility, I looked at some of the residents who shared this facility with her and how they never seemed to have anyone to see after their needs… to advocate for them with the medical staff and others…those who never seemed to get a card, call or visit. I reminded myself often that these people were God’s children just as much as my Mam-ma Polly, whose apartment entrance resembled something of a “revolving door” as people seemed to be continually coming and going, calling, leaving cards, food, flowers and more. I wondered how – and why – she appeared to be so blessed, while others seemed to have so little. And the only conclusion I could come to was that SHE had been a blessing to many when she was able and active… and she had instilled this sense of respect in me and my family, so that we saw after her in a similar manner.
If you stop and think about it, I bet you know several older folks who could use a little of your time and attention. Perhaps you have a neighbor, an aunt, uncle, grandparent… or even a parent… who isn’t quite as independent these days. This person might never ask you for help… for fear of being a bother. Or maybe they pester you all the time to do things for them, visit them, and more. Either way, we are called to show our respect and care for the elderly. In this way, we obey God and show our respect for Him… and for them. God doesn’t care less about people as they age and decline… and neither should we!
Respect and care for the elderly should be part of our Christian living. If we love God, and “fear” (respect) Him, we will take care of His sheep… ALL of them… even those who are elderly or infirm. Who needs to hear from you today? I can assure you that while you are honoring God and blessing someone with your respect and attention, YOU will receive the bigger blessing. This should not be your reason for reaching out… but it’s a pretty nice perk of your discipleship! Look around and see who needs your time and attention. Make a difference in the life of an elderly person… honor and respect God in the process… and get ready to be truly blessed as a result!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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