Nursing Home Ministry

The Fire and the Cloud: A Christmas Story

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. Exodus 13:21 NKJV

You probably will ask, “What in the world does the cloud and the pillar of fire have to do with Christmas?” That’s a great question! Well, let’s consider the journey of the wise men. He sent the star to guide the wise men. In the same way, that In the wilderness, God sent a fire by night to lead His people. Have you ever stopped to think that sometimes God leads us that way also? When it is nighttime in our life, and things are going wrong, He sends His light to guide us, in the form of His Word.

But what about those days when there is money in the bank, everyone is healthy, and life is sunny? For the children of Israel, the daytime traveling was by a cloud. Though the wisemen had no cloud to follow, what they did was to continue on the course that the star had set by night. They did not stop and wait for evening but pressed on ahead. In the same way, we must not settle down in our comfort zones. God leads us forward even when things look good because our Promised Land is not here in the desert. No matter how great things look right now, there is a much more wonderful destination ahead because we are not citizens of the wilderness. Our homeland lies on the other side of the Jordan River. So, whether God sends a star, a cloud, or a pillar of fire, He will lead us to our own promised land. If we simply choose to follow Him, He will lead us both by day and by night. Then one day we will come to His home, pour out our treasures and worship Him forever!

The First Noel was one of the songs we kicked off our caroling with at the nursing home this year. Just as the wise men followed that star on the first Noel, God is calling you to follow Him by reading and following His word. No matter how old we are, it is never too late to have a First Noel!

Everyone Can Be a Volunteer

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:34 NIV

My volunteering in nursing homes began with a friend named Darryl, who with his wife Beverly went to church with us. Then one day Darryl had a massive stroke and ended up in a nursing home about thirty minutes away from where we lived. Since my job was in that city, Beverly would often ask if I could stop by some day after work to visit him. Though that sounded like a nice idea, but I procrastinated because I knew how tired I was at the end of the workday. Every week I made another excuse, but every week Beverly persistently asked (and the Holy Spirit was convicting me!) Finally, I decided to at least give it a try, and that visit, some thirty-four years ago, opened the way to becoming a volunteer chaplain, which has been of the greatest blessings of my life.

But being a volunteer goes far beyond the walls of long-term care facilities. For example, we have friends with three daughters, ages 10-17. Their youngest is named Laura and Laura is a down’s syndrome child. Raising their girls with equal love has been a tough balancing act because sometimes Laura requires so much time and energy that the other two have had to put their own time with mom and dad on hold. Then there is my good friend Rob in our men’s group who has multiple sclerosis. Rob struggles just to stand up and get a grip on his walker, at the end of each meeting, and yet he is there most weeks, in part because his wife Lisa helps him to get ready. If you think that these people are the exception, you would be correct. But the story of the Good Samaritan shows us, that God has strategically placed people in all our lives, to give us the opportunity to be what Jesus would call a volunteer – a good neighbor! As a neighbor we all know a Laura, a Rob or a Darryl and what we decide to do can change their lives and ours forever.

I once heard someone say that “If you can get paid for what you love to do then you will never work a day in your life.” But as a volunteer I like to think that “If we just love for free, the people God has put in our path, then one day we will discover treasures in Heaven that will last forever! “

The Power of Two

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Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19 ESV

The power of two has been obvious ever since God looked down at Adam sleeping in the garden and said, “It is not good for man to be alone!” Moses had his brother Aaron, and Joshua stuck with Caleb. Jesus regularly sent the disciples out two by two, and even taught us that having a partner in prayer can move Heaven. In nursing home ministry, it is so easy to get so motivated to just get out there and get something done that we might forget to look to others for help. Being motivated to launch out is a great way to get started, but having a team member in ministry is vital to carry on the work.

But you might say, “I don’t know anyone who is interested in helping in nursing home ministry. But our lack of handy volunteers isn’t a problem for God. What He wants from us is simply the willingness to work with those He brings our way. Even when it seems we are alone at a facility, God just may surprise us from unexpected sources.

One of my favorite “volunteer stories” is about a man named Bruce. Bruce worked in the maintenance department of one of the facilities that I visit. After the service, Bruce would often greet me with a smile, a handshake, and a comment about how he also loved the hymns. One week Bruce asked if he could help sing with me. Though it seemed an odd request, I was later surprised and delighted as I heard his rich baritone voice joining in with me on “How Great Thou Art.” Not only was that a special blessing for me, but the residents also loved Bruce’s singing. Bruce reminded me that we were able to do far more together than either of us could do alone. Because we sang together, people had the chance to see their maintenance man in a whole new light. Though many residents looked forward to my coming in every Friday, Bruce could be there to encourage them or pray for them every day. Sadly, it was only a month or so until Bruce moved on to another job, but the memory of how God uses us together has encouraged me to always be keeping an eye out for the next “Bruce” who God might bring my way!