FRIDAY MISSIONAL STORY: Love in the Nursing Home

May 1, 2009

My Grandmother is a resident in a nursing home. I generally see her once a week. My mother visits her several times a week. She suffers from alzheimers, but most of the time she still recognizes us. I’ve been up to visit her several time on Sundays. Usually I go up, pick her up and take her to lunch. Usually when I get there, she’s sitting in the living area as they have church. A couple from Denton Bible Church comes out every Sunday. I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to talk to them, but they are faithful every Sunday.They have hymn books they’ve put together with large lettering. They sing a few hymns, pray, and the man delivers a short sermon. During all of this the folks don’t generally react very much. They may sing some. But you don’t know how much of the message they are getting. I was impressed that this couple would come out faithfully performing what seemed like a fairly thankless task week after week.

Last week, I went to visit my grandmother earlier and took her out to breakfast. As we got back to the nursing home, everyone was beginning to gather for church. It was about fifteen or twenty before eleven in the morning. I helped my grandmother to her favorite chair and sat down beside her.

Then I began to overhear things. “Do you think they’re coming today?” “They’ll be here, there’s still fifteen minutes before they are usually here.” “I hope they come.” “Is that them. Is that their car?” “Yea, that’s their car.”

These two wonderful servants of God walked in the room with big smiles. They went to each person in turn, giving them a hug, a kiss on the forehead or a handshake.”

I had to leave early in the day to prepare for the Lake Como outreach, but I wonder if they have any idea, how much they mean to these people, many of whom receive no visitors. I wonder if God has given them a glimpse into what they mean in these people’s lives. They are faithful. They show l

I can’t judge their hearts, but based on what I witnessed, I am pretty sure that God is smiling on these two wonderful servants.

I remember hearing a couple of months ago a woman as she lamented that there were several churches surrounding the nursing home where her dad was a resident. She says that there were no churches coming in to minister to the residents. They contacted every church in the area, none were interested. That brought up a couple of questions: Why didn’t she do it? Why wouldnt any of the other churches take up the mission? I don’t know the answer actually, but I have have a terrible feeling that a lot of people who think they have an “in” with God will be suprised when he says I was in the nursing home and you didn’t visit me.

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