I suppose every town has a seniors home. Perhaps it is only a house where a family member attends to their parent. Or maybe a private home with three or four residents. Perhaps even an institution.
Kindersley had a Sunset Lodge many years ago. That was housing for many different levels of care. Couples could remain together. The staff were multi-functional people, who lived with Alzheimer patients as well as handicapped, and perhaps even some who were quite nimble but enjoyed a bit of assisted living.
Then a newer facility was built, and then apartments throughout the town and finally a high rise apartment building with over ninety apartments and meals provided in the rent.
The Heritage Manor is now decades old. And in good shape.
Not so the people. This has become, in the past few years, the place for level 3-4 care patients – many with extra needs. A lady who enter about a decade ago, has a nimble mind and is still somewhat active is now surrounded by those whose level of care has become progressively greater.
So today, as we led a hymn sing amongst them, I reminisced to myself. Six years ago, when we arrived in town, most of the residents would sing heartily and were quite aware of their surroundings. Many still sing lustily, but the memory and attention spans are much less. Which means a sermon or even a short devotional thought is difficult to follow.
Music is often the last thing to go. So we sing heartily, I joke a bit and we sense God’s presence in the midst. Not all encounters with God require you to excel academically, physically and emotionally. Somehow being there can be enough – God reaches us where we are, as we are!!
