June 4
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
Shuffling down the hallway with difficulty, she’d wave to me. Impeccably dressed with her gray hair pinned up in the same style she’d worn since younger days, she looked elegant despite her bent, frail frame. She stopped at each doorway, leaned forward on her walker to rest before continuing to her destination. In those moments she socialized with her fellow residents and it was always the same. She’d make every effort to persuade them to come out of their rooms and join her in the recreation room. As the director of recreational therapy, it was always a challenge for me and my staff, to encourage people to participate in diversional activity. But she had a way of making each person feel valued, and she was able to do what we often could not! There she’d be, looking like the Pied Piper, with a line of people slowly following behind her!
A single woman, who worked late into her life as a teacher, her family had left this world many years before. In addition, she had outlived all her friends and acquaintances. There were never any visitors from outside to brighten her day, yet she made it her ambition to brighten the lives of those around her. There was never a complaint, never a woe-is-me; just the sharing of memories that filled her with love and gratitude. An aura of light and hope surrounded her, and she’d say that her deep faith in God’s everlasting love filled her with assurance that she would be with her loved ones some day. Meanwhile she waited and continued to do “God’s work” sustained by that faith. Her peaceful demeanor and ability to listen with empathy drew others to her. She was a joy to be around! She’d often say that she was nourished by the people she was with and the conversations and activity she took part in. Attending religious services were her mainstay though, and she would be there more often than not, with great effort on her part.
When her time came, never have I seen someone so loved and appreciated! Not only were staff members present around the clock, but her fellow residents held a vigil with her, taking turns to be sure she was never alone. I could not help but think how full her life had been; how her life filled and blessed so many of us! To this day, the memory of this beautiful lady fills me with a desire to be more like her; to have faith strong enough to allow Jesus to carry me and sustain me into my old age with grace and dignity, no matter what circumstances lie ahead.
As the aging process takes its toll God, sustain us with faith until you rescue us and carry us home! May our lives be a blessing to one another.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
Shuffling down the hallway with difficulty, she’d wave to me. Impeccably dressed with her gray hair pinned up in the same style she’d worn since younger days, she looked elegant despite her bent, frail frame. She stopped at each doorway, leaned forward on her walker to rest before continuing to her destination. In those moments she socialized with her fellow residents and it was always the same. She’d make every effort to persuade them to come out of their rooms and join her in the recreation room. As the director of recreational therapy, it was always a challenge for me and my staff, to encourage people to participate in diversional activity. But she had a way of making each person feel valued, and she was able to do what we often could not! There she’d be, looking like the Pied Piper, with a line of people slowly following behind her!
A single woman, who worked late into her life as a teacher, her family had left this world many years before. In addition, she had outlived all her friends and acquaintances. There were never any visitors from outside to brighten her day, yet she made it her ambition to brighten the lives of those around her. There was never a complaint, never a woe-is-me; just the sharing of memories that filled her with love and gratitude. An aura of light and hope surrounded her, and she’d say that her deep faith in God’s everlasting love filled her with assurance that she would be with her loved ones some day. Meanwhile she waited and continued to do “God’s work” sustained by that faith. Her peaceful demeanor and ability to listen with empathy drew others to her. She was a joy to be around! She’d often say that she was nourished by the people she was with and the conversations and activity she took part in. Attending religious services were her mainstay though, and she would be there more often than not, with great effort on her part.
When her time came, never have I seen someone so loved and appreciated! Not only were staff members present around the clock, but her fellow residents held a vigil with her, taking turns to be sure she was never alone. I could not help but think how full her life had been; how her life filled and blessed so many of us! To this day, the memory of this beautiful lady fills me with a desire to be more like her; to have faith strong enough to allow Jesus to carry me and sustain me into my old age with grace and dignity, no matter what circumstances lie ahead.
As the aging process takes its toll God, sustain us with faith until you rescue us and carry us home! May our lives be a blessing to one another.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson