Where do you think hidden treasures can be found? Your home? Possessions? A bank account? A casino? The premise of this seminar was that hidden treasures are found in the lives of the oldest folks in our communities. They each have a lifetime of experience and wisdom to share with someone who will listen.
Presented by God Cares Ministry, the training focused on serving people in long term care facilities (aka nursing homes). Did you know that 2,000 people will spend their last day on earth today in a care facility? All four of my grandparents were living in a care facility when they died.
Truth be told, this only became a heart issue for me as I watched my grandfather spend his last days in a long term care facility. After he passed away in February, I felt I had failed him. In the years he was in the nursing home, I only visited a handful of times. It was just too painful for me to see him there. And, with every visit, I felt so very inadequate to know how to relate to him. What I learned is that those who have been left to live their last days in a care home have one primary need: Friendship. How simple is that? All I need to do is be a friend. Maybe what I really need to learn is how to be a better friend.... to listen.... and simply to care.
Sadly, I can no longer reach out to my grandpa. But I can be a friend to someone who needs one at a care facility right here in my neighborhood.
By God's grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment