Today Jill from Daily Bread shares about ministering to her community, family style. Jill is a violinist, homeschooling mom, and is passionate about living missionally and intentionally. She and her family strive to live out the prayer found in Proverbs 30, verse 8: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." I hope you will stop by Jill's blog and take a peak at the beauty and generosity found in living simply.
It all started when my local librarian asked me to play my violin for the residents of the local senior home during the weekly library hour. I wasn’t playing professionally anymore because I had two young daughters, so I was eager to have an opportunity to play.
It all started when my local librarian asked me to play my violin for the residents of the local senior home during the weekly library hour. I wasn’t playing professionally anymore because I had two young daughters, so I was eager to have an opportunity to play.
As I played and my daughters clung to my legs, walked around
my music stand, danced a little jig and sat on the floor, I noticed the
residents were taken with my daughters. Big smiles, twinkling eyes, arms
stretched out in hopes of touching a child.
I realized how much this older generation wanted and needed
interaction with a younger generation. And I knew from personal experience the
value of a child interacting with the elderly. I went home that day and began
reflecting on my own upbringing. As a child, my family “adopted” a woman who
lived in our local nursing home. Each week we would visit Mary, taking her a
dish of her favorite ice cream from Baskin Robbins, inviting her into our home
for each holiday and family celebration. She became part of our family – a very
important part of our family.
After several days of reflection and brainstorming, I
proposed to the librarian that we start an intergenerational story time at the
Senior home. We would invite families from the community to share a story
together and do a craft. Although I moved away 5 years ago, this
intergenerational story time is still taking place.
Now that my daughters have grown up a bit and have learned
to play the violin, we make monthly visits to a local nursing home to share our
music with the residents. We are often joined by one or two of my other
students and it’s become a highlight of our month. I love it when my girls
eagerly ask when it’s time to visit the nursing home again.
An added blessing is that they are not the least bit
intimidated by the people who live there or others who live in similar
situations. Both my husband and I have grandmothers who now live in nursing
homes. When we are able to visit them, our young girls are eager and excited to
visit their great-grandmas. It blesses me to see them comfortable in a
situation where many people feel uneasy.
Anyone can visit a nursing home. You don’t have to have a
musical talent to share, you just have to have an open heart. Take a Bible
along and begin reading it aloud. Sit next to someone and hold their hand. Ask
a resident about their earlier life (Mary, my friend from childhood, was a chef
at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City!). Take fingernail polish and paint
some fingernails. Take an easy craft for the residents to make.
I’m pretty sure you will quickly realize that as you bless
others, you too will be blessed.
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| Read the rest of this series here. |
2 comments:
Awesome.
Your post brought conviction to me. I sing and have thought often of going to the nursing home to sing some of the old hymns to those ones trapped inside aging bodies. Thank you
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