rebecca.

if you read my previous post, you read that i miss old people. let me explain.

i don't have any old people in my life anymore. i don't have any grandparents and i really don't have anything that i'm a part of where older people are present in my life. in comes church. last sunday was our first sunday in our new building. and while it was the beginning of a new building for worship, a new starting point for the body of Christ to reach out to non-believers and help people to walk with God - it was a starting point for me too.

as i found my way to my seat (a few minutes late into the service while the first song had begun) i stood next to something so beautiful. it was a woman in her mid-eighties wearing a skirt, glasses, silvery curled hair and her hands lifted high in praise. i can honestly say that i've never seen an older person openly and so honestly worship God. i got goose bumps. i'm not sure why - it's not uncommon to see someone worship; but something about her was just so authentic. she didn't come to church with anyone. she sat alone - sort of. i mean she wasn't alone because there were people on all sides, but she wasn't coupled with anyone in particular. so i introduced myself to her. through the rest of the service we worshiped God together. as i sang loud, she matched me and would sing louder - my hands up - her hands higher. her voice was edgy and loud and proud and she was shouting to God. and every now and then she would look at me and smile. and as the sermon began, she took notes and every now and then would lift up an "Amen" or "hallelujah" or "that's right". before we left to make a dash to get loralai, i told her that it was truly a pleasure worshiping with her and sitting next to her.

i hope she knew that i was serious. even though you can be right next to someone in church, your experience can be so different. God can move you and speak to you in such different ways during the same sermon or time of worship. and as we left, i told todd about my experience. i told him that i just missed having older people in my life. i used to love conversation with my grandad. i loved his insight, his wisdom, his life experience, his stories and the way he loved. i prayed that day for God to show me how i could be of service to the woman i met at church or how i could be a part of ministry with older people. i even told todd that i should do lunch with my new friend from church once a week.

in comes God.

i went for a walk tonight. i opted to skip my gym experience for a little fresh air since it felt so nice out. i ran up a few streets, walked a few more and was running up another when i happened across a woman taking out her trash. she lives a few streets over and lives in one of two houses next to each other who have beautiful yards. i always admire how beautiful her grass is in her front yard (hey. you notice these things when your husband obssesses over having green grass) and how beautiful hers and her neighbor's flowers are. so in mid jog i stopped after i saw the woman stumble a bit as she was taking her trash to the curb. at first i thought i was going to catch her in a fall. but when she steadied herself i decided to ask, since i was stopped anyway, if she lived in one of the pretty-yard houses. she said that she did. and then, she proceeded to ask me if i'd like a tour of her yard. so for the next thirty minutes i got a guided tour of her front and back yard, with a peak into her neighbor's yard, too. his yard is impeccable. and apparently he tends to both of their lawns - he plants her flowers, buys her flowers and doesn't ask a penny in return. through conversation i learned that rebecca and her husband charles thomas (she calls him tommy) have been married quite some time. she's turning 80 in november; he's turning 87. they share a birthday month and, i'm guessing, about 60+ years of marriage based on her saying that they fell in love when she was 18. she went on to tell me about their two daughters, her failing health, his failing health and how (with today's economy and them having to pay for their own health insurance because her husband's retirement plan didn't include insurance) they get by with the help of friends helping in the yard, their church family bringing a meal over every week and other friends helping with food. rebecca said all of this while her head shook and her hand gripped the rubber bottomed cane that she held.

she wasn't asking for help - just talking. i find that some older people will tell you their life's story in a matter of minutes. some people get annoyed by that but i find it to be a gift - sometimes my ears get a little tired, but i try to stand tall and keep my interest up. there's much to learn from older people. they've lived so much; experienced so many ups and downs. and when rebecca asked me if i went to church, i knew i'd met my match. she went on to tell me that people just wear "slacks" to church these days. i told her that my church was a casually dressed church, too, but that i was sure that Jesus wanted us to come just as we are. she said, "yep. and you know, he's been real good to us. real good." so without permission, my tongue began forming words, "rebecca, would you like for me to come over and clean your house once a week?" and before she could even think about it, know my last name, or the number that sits over the top of my front door, she said, "sure." so my tongue kept making words and they said, "well just leave the place as it is, have your cleaning supplies out and give me my marching orders when i come over and i'll get to cleaning." she just smiled and said, "well alright." so we decided on thursday nights at 7.

on my walk home i was both excited and burdened. awful isn't it? i selfishly started thinking, "how long will i have to clean? will this last for years?" i have to be real with how i feel or else i think i'd be a liar. but as soon as i felt those emotions come in, i kicked them to the curb and started praising God. i knew that this was my opportunity to be in the presence of older people. it was God giving me an opportunity to serve - to be a servant - to be Jesus walking. after all, Jesus was a leader by being a servant. my hope is that in my cleaning rebecca's house, i'll become a more cheerful giver. that even in my chores, i'll find God's love pouring out.

and so i sat todd down when i got home and told him how my tongue got ahead of me and how God made my path cross with rebecca's tonight. i told him how excited i was to be able to serve but how nervous i was because this is new for me. the emotions are mixed, but i know that God moved tonight and i'm honored. in our pastor's sermon on sunday, he said that we aren't called to relieve our brothers and sisters of their pain but to BE the relief. be the love of Christ, be the hand they need, be the feet when they can't walk, and turn the vacuum on and dust the house when the years have crept up and the knees don't bend like they used to. so my hope is that i'll be a help to rebecca and her husband...and the rest is up to God.

pray with me, will you? pray that i'll be able to love on rebecca in the same way that people loved on my grandparents when they were in need.

isn't God so sneaky? i love how he lines things up.


1Peter4
8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Psalm 116
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD :
"O LORD, save me!"
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.