After church on Sunday, our Pastor reminded us that God's Kingdom if we sign on as REAL disciples that is will cost us EVERYTHING but it will be FREE. Jesus used extreme examples to get the point across like, "Hate your Father and Mother." And, "Sell all your possessions."
If we have a balance in our walks with the Lord, we know this basically means, don't have any idols, God is first in our lives, and don't cling to the world; come against it and be a nonconformist. I mean, it means a lot more than that, but we must live outside of our confines, we have to re-program our minds to get out of thinking about "Me." My Pastor was reminding us that God isn't a part of our lives, He is our lives. It's not separated. WE are not at the center, but HE IS. And this takes, TIME, DISCIPLINE, FORMING NEW HABITS, COMMUNING WITH GOD, PATIENCE, EFFORT, SURRENDER; all these things everyday of our lives.
I thought the message was the essence of Christianity; like the highest class in College--Christianity PHD!
Well, after hearing a sermon like that, I had to get myself out of the equation, and go see this Alice that I had met new church once at an outreach. She lives in the High Rise near church. When I met her a couple of months ago, she asked for my number and wanted to keep in touch. We talked about our dogs a lot; we both have Poodles. We said we'd take our dogs for walks together or that I'd pick her up for church sometime. And although I still think of her often, I hadn't called her yet. I'm working hard to maintain other relationships, so it's hard to integrate new ones. But, it's the Lords work, and I must submit to that regardless of my schedule, my convenience, or my excuses. As much as I wanted and felt like going home after church, it's not about ME, it's about God. Paul didn't even make it about himself when he was miserable from being beat almost to death and then put behind bars as an innocent man! And in life, we seem to always make it about ourselves, we always seem to be at the center of the equation.
So we went over to this High Rise, and I had lost her phone number, but I figured there would be a guard at the desk, but the thing is, is I was sure there would be a million other Alice's! I thought it was a long shot to find her. So when Kevin and I walked in, I saw a resident, and asked about a desk person, she said there wasn't one on the weekends! I thought, great, I will never locate Alice! The woman asked who I was looking for and I mentioned "Alice", no last name, just "Alice". She said, "I know Alice she lives across the hall from me!" And I said, "How do we know if it's the same Alice?" She said there was only ONE Alice in the whole place!
So we went up the elevator with her, and sure enough, it was the Alice I had met just a couple months ago, and her dog, Cuddles. I could not believe it. I just thought for sure, this was too easy! But everything is easy for God if you know what I mean--I don't think it was a coincidence that Mary (the woman we saw when we walked in), happen to be where she was at the right time.
Well, when we got to visiting with Alice, (and Cuddles, thank goodness for Cuddles), I asked her if she had any family. She said her Husband died like 11 years ago, but that she has "some" children around town. She said they never visit her; only on the Holidays sometimes! I could not understand that and still don't. I mean, there must be some reason, but as far as I am concerned if you have a Mother in a Nursing Home who is 81, there is no GOOD reason to not visit! It saddened my whole being; I was so overcome with sadness for Alice. Even if it was a situation where she told her children she didn't want them to visit and she was cranky and mean (which from what I know she isn't), you, as her children, still go and see her.
I couldn't believe what grief filled my heart. And I am sure Alice is not the only one, as a matter of fact, I know she isn't, from experience of hanging out at Nursing Homes through the years; these elderly ARE lonely! They need people, they need touch!
I am just so happy that Alice has been going to Woodland Hills on Saturday nights, that warms my heart. And I will keep in touch with her, even if it's once a month, that is something I can give. If you know someone in a nursing home, and don't spend much time with them at all, please reach out, and take the time to do it. If you don't know anyone, that is OK, you can reach out like I have--there are Homes in every City! They want, they need visitors!
Step outside of your own confines, and just do it! Get ahold of that PHD!
