Serve, Share & Shine - Act 4
Saturday, July 24th
Happy summer and weekend Soul Sisters! We are "weaving"our way through summer and are already on ACT 4 of our summer series, Serve, Share & Shine! For the next two weeks, we will be focusing on the ELDERLY.
For those of you who are full time caregivers, hear these words from the Lord, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Remember that He sees the constant care you are pouring out. His love is in each touch you administer and each word you speak. Ask him for His Spirit of perseverance each day and draw on His strength.
For the rest of us, let's pray and see who and how the Lord wants us to act in "serving, sharing or shining" for our elders. God's Word is clear when it comes to this topic. Let's look at a few verses to begin.
Psalm 71:9 "And now in my old age, don't set me aside. Don't abandon me when my strength is failing."
1 Timothy 5:1-2 "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers; older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."
Leviticus 19:32 "Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord."
Isaiah 46:4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Soul Sisters, let's pour out our hearts and love on those who are wiser and have lived longer than we have. They deserve it! Here are a few ideas to get you started...
1-Make arrangements to visit a retirement center during a meal. Sit and make conversation with a resident. Listening is an active form of loving!
2-What do you love to do? Sing? Read? Teach? Make crafts? Play games? Share your gift with some elders. Maybe in your own family, at church or in your neighborhood-all of these will engage them and brighten their day!
3-You can literally "BE THE LIGHT" with this idea! Organize a "Flashlight & Nightlight" collection with friends, church members or through the Nextdoor App. These lights are always needed for residents at a nursing home.
4-We are called to "be joy and to offer joy" to others. With the Lord's help, take a meal, flowers or a sweet treat to an elderly neighbor or couple with a dose of joy!
5-Ask your church what the needs are amongst the elderly members and how you can help.
6- Be a "HERO HUGGER"! Physical contact and touch is so very important and desperately missed by many elderly people. Make arrangements to visit a retirement home or senior center and be the "hero hugger" for an hour and hand out Hershey Hugs chocolate.
Ladies, the beautiful thing about serving someone is that not only are you pouring out God’s love to a person in need, but God’s love is also blessing you in return. He is in the midst of the giving! There is enough of God’s love (and then some) between the giver and the recipient. Delight in God’s smile as you cheerfully serve, share and shine on the elderly...believe He is in your midst!
We'd love to see you post directly on our Soul Sister page (on the weekends), of how you have loved on the elderly. I know it will be an inspiration and encouragement for us all. Keep shining Soul Sisters!