I dont know that I have ever been a sweet younger or middle aged lady, dont know if I could carry out being a sweet little old lady...
Many of the elderly are difficult to care for because they are ill, or have dementia, many are very bitter about being in a nursing home, many have already lost most of their families...and worst of all they have lost their independence..and no one can blame them for being angry and difficult..for many elderly, they really do vent their anger towards those who are caring for them, but we who care for them, do understand...so when they are in the immediate process of dying, if no one else can be there, to comfort them, it is up to the nursing home staff to try to be the comforter, so to speak, to ease that transition, as you say, from this world to the next...
Regardless of how they acted in the nursing home, while they were still ‘lively’, for lack of a better word, when it comes to the very end of their lives, there is nothing more of a blessing than to sit with them, hold their hand, talk with them, if they want, read to them if they wish...just doing even the smallest thing for them, at that time, is often of great comfort to them, and frankly, being able to do even the smallest thing for them, comforts me as well..so it is a two way street
One time, I remember in the middle of the night, when it is more quiet than during the regular shifts, we had someone coming down the hall, with his walker...it was one of the elderly gentlemen residents, who was so distraught...he came into the nurses station, so fearful of what would happen to him when he died...he told us he had been a wicked, wicked man during his lifetime, and now that he was in a nursing home, with time on his hands, he reflected over his life, and was terrified about what a wicked man he was...he feared what God had in store for him, when he died...he feared all was too late, for him to be saved...
I and a nurse I worked with, told him the story from the Bible...now, I am not well versed in the Bible, but did remember this story, tho dont know where in the Bible it is found, but I just remember reading it..my exact details are cloudy here, but it was the story about how a workman hired a man to do some work for him, in the morning, then hired one in the afternoon, and then hired one in the evening...all three man worked for the workman that day...at the end of the day, when it came time to get paid, all three men got paid exactly the same amount of money...the man who worked from morning till night, was miffed that the men who worked only from the afternoon, or early evening, until night, got the same wages as he...the workman reminded the morning worker, that he had agreed to his wages for the days work done...we tried to tell this old distraught gentleman, that this story showed that whether one comes to the Lord, early, midstage, or late in life, the reward is the same...
In other words, it was not too late for this gentleman, to come to the Lord...oh, his face lit up, tears streamed down his face, and he asked us to pray with him, which of course we did...and during that praying time, all sorts of things spilled forth from this man...
This old man, had no family, had no one visit him in the nursing home...he wanted a Bible, so the nursing home got him one..from that time forward this old man would always be found reading his Bible, and he seemed happy and relieved...
He died several months later, I wish I had been with him, when he was dying, but I was not...in any case, I hope that his dying was eased, because he realized he could come to the Lord, at his late stage in life, that it was not too late...
Now, I dont know how anyone here, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, looks at this story of mine...and actually, I dont know if I even care...all I know is, that for whatever reason, this old man needed help, and we tried to point that old man towards hope, in the only way we knew how...
I am sorry to anyone here who feels I have strayed way off subject here, considering the topic of the thread...I know I could have written this rather large post via private mail, but I guess perhaps I just like to make people aware that often the nursing home staff, is tasked with more than just taking care of the residents physical needs...sometimes we have to veer off into the residents spiritual needs as well, and that is something we are never really trained for, but we plod along, doing the best we can...I know that nursing home staffs often get a bad rap for the awful behavior for the few....but truly, most nursing home staff, do all that they can, to make a aged residents life, as pleasant as possible until they die..
Again, sorry for going so far astray, if anyone feels this was inappropriate, they can ask to have my post deleted...
You were right there at God’s appointed time with just the right words and directions for one God was calling. It is amazing that both of your lives were prepared for such a time as that appointment. This may sound “Calvinistic” and even deterministic, but it a lot more comforting to know that God is taking care of His own than just mere circumstance or coincidence.
You are blessed and you blessed him and have blessed us with the testimony. Thank You.
Thanks and bless you for what you did and for the story.
What a great testimony, mom. That was beautiful. People can come to the Lord at any time in their lives. My grandmother was in a nursing home and I led her to the Lord when she was 96. Hubby and I had a music ministry that went to several homes in the area. It was such fun and they loved our old timey tunes. I typed up books with hundreds of different songs in them and we had several who sang with us and a great keyboardist. It was a great 12 year run. So I do know what you are saying from a personal viewpoint. We led a number of these old people to the Lord before they died. They were so open to that. Hallelujah. You are a real blessing.