SPIRITUAL VIGNETTES
Caring for Neighbours - Joyce Sasse
"You will stop by and visit often," my neighbour implored as he got out of the car. "Don't forget us."
The request was touching. We'd come home from the picnic shortly after eating because he was feeling chilled, a bit confused, and quite stumbly. Both he and his wife were frightened.
The older we get, the more we do battle with the unseen ghosts of health ... the more we are confronted by our physical vulnerabilities ... the more we treasure the thoughtfulness and care expressed by others.
Understanding the loneliness and pain aging people face is something local people know about because our lives within the community are so intimately connected.
We remember when the woman in the wheelchair was quick as a fox, when the man with the dementia was a brilliant teacher, when the exhausted care-giver brought food at the time of our own bereavement.
Through their actions and their living story, these elders have passed on clues as to how each of us can bring blessing to others.
What I've learned from them has more to do with being there without fuss, but with consistency. It has to do with watching and listening, rather than with trying to give pat answers. And it has to do with helping each find his/her own course of action, rather than forcing a prescribed "solution".
Remember the companionship enjoyed by Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth? The two leaned on each other when all the men of the family died. When Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem, Ruth insisted she would return with her. When Naomi was destitute, Ruth went to work in the fields...
At the same time, Naomi's wisdom and experience brought blessing to Ruth's life. Their story, told over thousands of years, is instructive for every age ... even to the present time.
<A HREF="http://www.canadianruralchurch.net/Newsletter/Newsletter.htm" target="_blank"> Click Here to read more of Joyce's work on the Canadianruralchurch.net website.
Caring for Neighbours - Joyce Sasse
"You will stop by and visit often," my neighbour implored as he got out of the car. "Don't forget us."
The request was touching. We'd come home from the picnic shortly after eating because he was feeling chilled, a bit confused, and quite stumbly. Both he and his wife were frightened.
The older we get, the more we do battle with the unseen ghosts of health ... the more we are confronted by our physical vulnerabilities ... the more we treasure the thoughtfulness and care expressed by others.
Understanding the loneliness and pain aging people face is something local people know about because our lives within the community are so intimately connected.
We remember when the woman in the wheelchair was quick as a fox, when the man with the dementia was a brilliant teacher, when the exhausted care-giver brought food at the time of our own bereavement.
Through their actions and their living story, these elders have passed on clues as to how each of us can bring blessing to others.
What I've learned from them has more to do with being there without fuss, but with consistency. It has to do with watching and listening, rather than with trying to give pat answers. And it has to do with helping each find his/her own course of action, rather than forcing a prescribed "solution".
Remember the companionship enjoyed by Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth? The two leaned on each other when all the men of the family died. When Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem, Ruth insisted she would return with her. When Naomi was destitute, Ruth went to work in the fields...
At the same time, Naomi's wisdom and experience brought blessing to Ruth's life. Their story, told over thousands of years, is instructive for every age ... even to the present time.
<A HREF="http://www.canadianruralchurch.net/Newsletter/Newsletter.htm" target="_blank"> Click Here to read more of Joyce's work on the Canadianruralchurch.net website.
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