Full Circle

Sunday provided me with a wonderful reminder of God's eternal love.

The church I attend has two young people who will graduate from high school this year.

On Sunday, we recognized them and congratulated them on reaching this milestone in their lives.

During the portion of the service designed for children, I could not help but think how one day they too will reach this milestone.

Later that afternoon, a group of us met at one of the local nursing homes and sang hymns for the residents.

As I looked upon these wonderful senior citizens, I remembered a job I had as a young man and one of my responsibilities was to make deliveries to this very same home.

How long ago that seemed.

I then recalled our two graduates which made me think of my own graduation.

This took me back farther into my past.

I then recalled the children from the morning's service which made me think of my own childhood.

This took me even farther back.

After the hymns, we visited with the residents.

I took my turn as well.

I cannot begin to describe the joy I experienced as I walked up to each resident in turn.

There is a special moment that occurs when a person so advanced in years realizes that you are going to spend time with them.

Their face lights up in a very special way when they realize that you have chosen to enter their world and you take their hand in yours and a connection is made.

Experience has taught me to follow their lead in conversation and simply talk about whatever it is that they want to talk about.

What matters most is that you have chosen to enter their world and have given them two very precious resources.

You have given them your love and your time.

As we rush about in our daily lives, we often take these commodities for granted.

They do not.

As we departed, I thought about how things come full circle.

When I was a child, my world was very small.

My world then expanded to that which I know today.

If I live long enough, my world will shrink to the point where I too will be glad whenever someone cares enough to enter it.

Even if it is only for a few brief minutes.

Through it all, one thought outshines everything.

Regardless of where we are in our earthly journey God's love for us never diminishes.

Psalm 115:13 (NET) - He will bless His followers, both young and old.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 6, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 13, 2014

Small Talk with a Special Friend

Leviticus 19:32 (NIV) - Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.


1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) - Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

When I was young I worked part time for a pharmacy.

One of my duties was running the daily delivery route.

Along with making deliveries to private residences, I also had to make deliveries to all the local nursing homes on a daily basis.

One of the memories that I carry from those days I will always cherish.

It involved a particular resident at one of the nursing homes and the conversation I had with her.

Perhaps conversations would be the better word.

I met her when she became a new resident at one of the nursing homes I visited daily.

I dropped off the day’s delivery at the Nurses’ Station and found her seated nearby.

I realized she was a new resident because I had not seen her there before.

She said hello and I responded in kind.

She then asked me to guess her age which under normal circumstances is a very dangerous game for a man to play.

In this particular case, I intentionally underestimated by a few decades.

She broke out in a big smile and then told me her actual age.

She then spoke about what things were like when she was a little girl those many decades ago.

I listened to her for as many minutes as I could spare without getting into trouble with my employer.

I excused myself and told her I that I enjoyed our visit.

I then told her I looked forward to our next visit.

We exchanged smiles and I left to continue my deliveries.

I returned the next day and found her seated in the same chair.

After I made the delivery, I approached her.

We had the exact same conversation as the day before.

I realized that she neither remembered me nor the conversation we had a mere 24 hours before.

That is the way it continued each and every day that I came by.

I am glad I was able to spend a few minutes with her each day in this way even if she would not be able to remember it, or me.

I am glad I was able to provide her with a few brief moments of happiness every day.

Scripture, such as the verses I opened with, reminds us how we are to treat the elderly.

We are to treat them with respect.

We are to be a source of encouragement to them.

We are to treat them as if they were our own parents.

When we do, two things happen.

First, we please God.

Second, we make some really special memories.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 9, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, November 16, 2012.
Schedule subject to change.