Last week I had the opportunity to visit and older saint on her eightieth birthday. For the last three years of so, I’ve been coming to visit her every Thursday morning for a time of singing, Scripture reading, and prayer.
Last week was a huge blessing because so many family members had come to celebrate her birthday (even her son from Chile!).….
But it was also a little heartbreaking because it’s usually just me and her
A big part of ministry is remembering those people who others have forgotten. This especially refers to older Believer’s who can no longer get around the way that they would like. The eighty-year old saint (we affectionately call her “Granny”) never leaves her porch! I’m sure children and grandchildren don’t try to forget her, but the busyness of life causes us to forget the older generation.
The truth is it’s hard visiting Granny sometimes because her mind has really started to slip in the last two-years. Before Covid she would read three or four chapters of Scripture (without letting me read at all)! Now she can barely read ten verses.
She used to spend hours telling me stories about her childhood in Goergetown…now I remind her of those stories
She used to have a very sharp mind…..now she often can’t think clearly.
But then there are moments that she remembers
And those are the moments I come for
I’ve written in the past about the expression of joy that comes over her face when I start singing some of older songs. After the first two words she always joins in (without missing a word) with a huge smile. Or the excitement when she remembers an experience from her childhood. In a way I am a guide (so to speak) who helps her remember how far the Lord has brought her.
There are days when Granny’s mind isn’t clear when I visit, but that’s okay. Because as we sing, read, and pray together her eyes light up. She may not always remember me, but she remembers her Savior
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