Musings from Graceland

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW

Last week, our homeschool group visited a local nursing home as a ministry outreach. We delivered baskets filled with goodies and sang songs, read scripture verses, and shared poetry in the common room with the residents healthy enough to be up and about.

Some of the ladies living there were bed-ridden so we walked along the halls visiting with them in their rooms. In one such room, there were two ladies. One was very alert and interested in what we were doing. As we sang Amazing Grace and another song or two, her eyes stayed focused on us and she clearly enjoyed what we were doing. The other, frail, elderly lady lay in her bed with her eyes closed and her head slumped over onto one shoulder. She looked completely out of it. I figured she was sound asleep and wasn't even aware of our presence.

As the group left the room, I stepped over to her bed. I thought I'd just say something to her before I left. I was hoping that maybe her spirit would receive sweet words of Jesus' love even if her minid couldn't.

Was I ever in for a surprise! As soon as I started talking to her, she perked right up. She told me how much she loved music. She told me that when she was younger she used to love to sing. She went on to tell me her name, why her mother chose it, about where she grew up and that her daddy was a preacher. She even told me about her January birthday and when I said "well I'll have to wish you an early happy birthday then" she said "no, a late one". We had a happy little chat and I told her that when we were both in Heaven, we'd have to meet at the feet of Jesus and sing Amazing Grace together.

It was a beautiful experience. Here I was about to write-off this precious woman as not even being with it enough to be ministered to very much. I was basically saying "what's the point?"

I'm so glad I decided to speak to her. Granted, I was just going to say a quick little something such as "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you", but God took my teeny bit of intent and did something bigger with it. He made a 90-something year old woman's eyes shine as she talked about those she loved and her Lord. He used me to pour out God-originated affection on her. That in and of itself was a joyful gift to me.

But I received another gift that day. I received the important reminder that we can't always tell who we are reaching in this world. I need to be careful to not write people off too quickly. I don't need to assume just because someone seems disinterested or out of it or even rude and mean that what I'm doing and saying isn't having an impact on them. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time to see the results. Sometimes I might not ever see the results. But I need to keep on loving, keep on speaking the truth, keep on blessing, and leave the rest to God.

It might not be that they aren't listening --- it might be that they were simply resting their eyes because life had been long and tiring.