Revival at Nursing Home

What comes to your mind when you hear the word revival? Is it long lines of people waiting for the doors of church to open? Is it an altar full of people praying after the service? I would answer, “Yes and Amen!” to both. But revival is also about joy in the place of hardship and faith in an environment of wheelchairs, doctor’s visits and painful nights. Revival at nursing home isn’t about the numbers, the excitement or the breathless expectations of large meetings. Nursing home revival is about the love of Jesus breaking out in miraculous ways, of residents praying for one another and of nurses wiping a tear away when they hear their special people singing. Revival is about God breaking through in the most unexpected place and at times we never imagined. In 1962 Doris Mae Akers was directing the choir. As they neared the end of their rehearsal time, Doris felt the presence of God in a such a special way, that she said, “You are not ready to go in,” Later that night, still sensing that God had something more, she took pen in hand and wrote words that we have been singing for the last sixty-three years, “There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit in this place. And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord.” Are you looking for something more in your walk with the Lord Jesus? Then linger in prayer and worship, listen in the quiet place of prayer and determine to take whatever time is needed for God to break through. Then, “Without a doubt we’ll know, that we have been revived. When we shall leave this place!”

Blessing the Lord – Even in the Chaos

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 NKJV

A day at Life Care Center is always interesting. Nurses come in and ask residents if they had their meds, someone always get a call on their cell phone, or the lunch ladies walk through pushing their carts. It can feel chaotic at times, but in the middle of busyness, God also gives us a sense of His joy and peace, especially as we worship. The key is to look away from the chaos and simply bless the Lord in the middle of whatever is happening. I hope you will be blessed and join in with our residents as we lift up our hands and bless the Lord at all times, even when chaos tries to creep in!

Connecting Generations

The service last Friday at Life Care Center was really special. One of the highlights for me was a visit from a teenager named Lindsay. Lindsay is a special needs child whose mom is one of our volunteers. She was super excited to be there but nervous, so she sat at a table near the back with her counselor. About halfway through the song session, Lindsay was loving the music, but her emotions became a bit overwhelmed, so she began expressing her joy with loud vocalizations. I couldn’t see exactly what was happening, but I was told later that, before anyone got too worried about the situation, one of the residents wheeled herself over to Lindsay, and with a smile, gently took hold of her hand to calm her. I was so blessed to hear of how God used that circumstance as a perfect demonstration of how Jesus wants to connect, one generation to another through Him. The exuberance of youth, the joy of worship and the gentle patience of this precious older woman all blended together in those moments to show the love of Christ in action.

I believe that Jesus on the Main Line is the song that set those wheels in motion, so, I hope you will enjoy listening to an abbreviated version of it along with a few words on the subject of prayer. I pray God will bless you, hear your prayers and connect you to others this week in the wonderful love of Jesus!