Last night we went to Broadmore Senior Living and sung Christmas carols to the elderly there. I couldn’t help but wonder what they were thinking? Did the songs initiate a memory for them that took them to another place in time? My heart goes out to these individuals, I have worked in nursing homes and it is sad how some families put their loved ones in there and forget about them. On the flip side, there are many others who have to make the hard agonizing decisions to place their parents in such a place. Men and women who lived their lives, provided for their families, some who even fought for our country and now have reverted back to a child like state and in need of constant care. The Bible presents growing old as a normal, natural part of life in this world. There is honor involved in the aging process, because growing old is normally accompanied by increased wisdom and experience. “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31; see also Proverbs 20:29). God wants us to remember that life is short (James 4:14) and that the beauty of youth is soon gone (Proverbs 31:30; 1 Peter 1:24). The Bible has much to say about caring for elderly parents and other family members who are not able to care for themselves. The early Christian church acted as the social services agency for other believers. They cared for the poor, the sick, the widows and the orphans who had no one else to care for them. Christians who had family members in need were expected to meet those needs. Unfortunately, caring for our parents in their old age is no longer an obligation that many of us are willing to accept. We should never allow the cares of the world to overshadow the things that are most important—serving God through serving people, especially the people in our own families. The Bible says, Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth (Ephesians 6:2-3). I know it is a busy time of year for us all, but if you can, take a moment and pray for our elderly, the widowed and the orphans. This can be a sad time of year for a great many people, pray that the Lord will touch them and comfort them.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 09:02:00 +0000
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