THE CRY OF THE ELDERLY

Continued from previous page lives of senior citizens he’s learned can be engaged rather than warehoused, who can experience renewal, and who can build and retain vibrant relationships. He clearly educates about the value of aging, the kinds of relationships patients have with doctors, and how all caregivers can encourage a fuller life.

His book also sharpened my view of endof-life issues, hospice, and palliative care. It clarified the matter of life expectancy and helped me identify the myths I may have accepted. Drawing upon his own medical experiences, he challenges some of the conclusions our culture has embraced about unnecessarily and artificially prolonging life at any cost. (Gawande implies he would endorse euthanasia if he could, a view which I do not share.)

Referring to drawn-out medical treatments as “a long tail of possibility,” he writes,

The trouble is that we’ve built our medical system and culture around the long tail. We’ve created a multitrillion-dollar edifice for dispensing the medical equivalent of lottery tickets—and have only the rudiments of a system to prepare patients for the near certainty that those tickets will not win. Hope is not a plan, but hope is our plan.

Interfacing with senior citizens provides profound opportunities for compassionate servants of Jesus to shine. When I visit my mother in assisted living, attendants often mention how few residents have visitors. Walking those hallways can be depressing, but it should nudge

HOW TO BE A ‘REAL MAN’

Continued from page 49 trained. We are in desperate need of a safe place where we can become all God desires us to be.

Loving God

The Great Commandment tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

We get distracted by many things, don’t we? We should focus on one thing—loving God and Jesus. Bruce Wilkinson puts it this way,

The committed have a single focus to their commitment: Jesus Christ. Their commitment is not to the Bible, the Church, or Christian service; it is not to anything or anyone except Jesus. The committed are simply loyal to Jesus. The us into service to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these special seniors.

Even the Oldest-Old can become interactive, though many seem dull, overmedicated, or prone to sleep most of the time. One woman on my mother’s wing who seemed withdrawn and quiet was sitting in a common area reading her Bible. I approached and asked about her reading habits and her spiritual background. Since then she always lights up when I approach. We have some great conversations.

Caring for the Caregivers

Here is another segment of our culture that is begging for Christian outreach and touch. Supervisors, nurses, aides, kitchen helpers, and cleaning personnel may comprise some of the most unappreciated and unnoticed vocations in our culture.

There has been increasing concern about the current and future supply of acute and long-term care workers, especially nurses and paraprofessional staff, such as certified nurse assistants, home health aides, and personal care attendants. Unskilled paraprofessionals, who provide the bulk of long-term care services, are overwhelmingly women and disproportionately drawn from racial and ethnic minorities. Low wages and benefits, hard working conditions, heavy workloads and a job that has been stigmatized by society make worker recruitment and retention difficult. International Journal of Epidemiology, http://ije.oxfordjournals.org)

I make it a point to know those who work these jobs. I call them by name, joke with them, encourage them, and minister to them. The response is very positive. We must personify the Great Commission and Golden Rule to these people too.

What can be done to minister to the elderly and their caregivers? Here are some ideas: committed simply follow Jesus. The committed simply obey Jesus. The committed simply submit to Jesus. The committed would die for Jesus. The committed would give anything for Jesus at any time and for any reason. The committed live their lives for Jesus. The committed are sold out to Jesus. The committed simply love Jesus. Friend, love Jesus! Focus on Jesus and your commitment will flourish. Focus on Jesus and your behavior will be revolutionized.5

1. Visit facilities for the elderly. Ask staff members which residents need special attention.

2. Volunteer. Helpers are welcomed in all areas.

3. Be certain your congregation has an outreach to the elderly. The Young Old are often looking for meaningful service and gladly assist those a bit older who are more limited.

4. Pray for and with the elderly. Offering prayer is a vital outreach.

5. Start an adopt-a-senior initiative, either personally, as a church, or both. Celebrate special days, help with note writing, run errands, read aloud, pray with them, and especially listen.

Take a moment to hear the muffled cries for help coming from our senior citizens.

Bob Mize is a chaplain, minister, and freelance writer who lives with his wife, Charlotte, in Lubbock, Texas.

Men, the greatest gift you will give your wife, children, work associates, and neighbors is your love for God. And I’m not talking about some legalistic to-do list. I’m talking about a genuine relationship where we surrender our hearts to our heavenly Father and trust him to provide what we need to be—REAL Men.

¹Steve Sonderman, Mobilizing Men for One-onOne Ministry (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2010), 40.

²Gary Oliver, Real Men Have Feelings Too (Chicago: Moody Press, 1993), 54.

³Stephen B. Clark, Man and Woman in Christ (East Lansing: Tabor Publications, 1980), 639.

⁴As quoted by Stu Weber, Along the Path to Manhood (Sisters: Multnomah, 1995), 20.

⁵Bruce Wilkinson, First Hand Faith (Sisters: Multnomah, 1999), 94.

Gary Olsby is the men’s pastor at Northside Christian Church in Fresno, California, and author of the book

REAL Men: Tackling the Biggest Issues All Men Face