I wasn't going to attend the involvement fair. I was in a terrible mood that afternoon, and had spent most of it crying. And to top it all off, Lynn was calling me. Now, don't get me wrong, Lynn LaBelle is one of my all-time favorite people, but I knew why she was calling: I was going to get a sassing. (To be honest, I deserved it and needed it.)
Sure enough, after being told that I needed to stop wallowing and go do something, I went to the involvement fair. I was beyond overwhelmed by the amount of people lining the streets, but I already knew what I wanted to look for- elderly ministries. I have a great reverence for older people, and I have a fascination with getting to know the nooks and crannies of people, and older people have such history that I love to listen to what they have seen and lived.
I actually chose the table that was the least fancy, which maybe will surprise most of you. I didn't want to be a part of something too big though, I wanted to be on a team with a few people that I could get to know very well, and so I took the info from the girl, Stephanie, who turned out to be the group leader!
I did pray about the decision to join, but the Lord made it very clear that he wanted me involved in this ministry.
The ministry itself was going to the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Springfield, Ohio (only about 20 minutes from campus) from 6-8 every Wednesday night, where we would sing hymns and pray with the residents that wanted to join us. (Eventually we also formed a group that would go around room-to-room ministering to those who either could not leave their rooms, or maybe did not want to.)
The first night I went, I was very nervous, looking back I'm not sure why I was...but I was! It was uncomfortable the first few moments we were there, as obviously I had no clue who these people were (most of the others did because this was their second year), and of course...nursing homes unfortunately do not have the best sights and smells. But, it did not take long before I really felt the Lord pressing on my heart, and I cried so much the first night because I truly feel hymns to the core...and just singing them in the state I was in made me quite emotional.
The second week particularly stands out because I met an older lady named Sue. She reminded me a lot of my Nana, she is a Christian, and she told us the story of her and her "yankee" husband. She was so sweet to us, and instead of us praying for her, she asked if she could pray for us, and we held hands as we prayed...and I could just feel the tears streaming down my cheeks (I'm a crier, if you couldn't tell.) It turns out that she has some sort of memory issue, and she does not remember us on a weekly basis...but I always have fun re-introducing myself to her and watching her face light up as she talks about her husband.
The Lord has humbled me greatly in this ministry, and opened up my heart and hands for more compassion for people than I have ever felt in my life. It blows my mind every day, because I tend to be such a hard-hearted person, but wow! Only by His grace! It is so hard to see these men and women being the shell of who they once were, and to know that many of them do not have friends or family who would come and visit them...or simply that they don't visit them. It just breaks my heart, and I wish I could spend more than the mere two hours once a week with them.
I'm not sure I ever could have seen myself spending Wednesday nights being a one-on-one to an older lady who is not very verbal and has memory issues, simply holding her hand and stroking her cheek while we sing. (I know she's singing...she sings the melody lines with unintelligible words, but I know she's still praising!!) But God has been so kind, and so gentle to me...that His love has brought so much love into my heart. He has given me patience, and compassion...and I cannot even begin to express my thankfulness. Nothing is sweeter than singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" with a generation that knows his faithfulness much more than I will know until I reach that same age. Because great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. I hope I keep that in mind, and I cannot wait to continue on with the ministry next semester!
