Changing Seasons

I've been working part time with elderly people for almost 2 months now and you just don't know how fulfilled and happy I am serving them. It is such a joy to be able to help and to take care of other people. This job is different compared to my previous experience in the hospital; I'm working with rich and not so very sick elders. I have shared how I love to take care of the poorest of poor and the sick; it gives me satisfaction and the happiness of having the chance to give back and thank Him for making me healthy enough to give care and to be the privilege one to have been educated. This job is different; it is teaching me lessons about life.

Ruth, a well educated sophisticated beautiful lady who is now 93 years old, have never missed a day of telling me how perfect and gorgeous she was when she was still young but complains of how old she looks now. "Phoebe, I'm telling you, never grow old...but grow old because I had a good life", she told me last Sunday. Whenever I'm working with her, we talk about life, her life as a teacher, skater and a muse, about education, relationships and opinions about things. I want to talk to her about Christianity but I couldn't find a way to include it in our conversation. When she told me that statement last Sunday, I thought that maybe in spite of her wealth, beauty and relationships, she still feels empty.

Anne, a well educated sophisticated beautiful lady who is now 99 years old, have never missed a day of telling me how thankful she is of her life. Whenever I'm working with her, we talk about music, arts, education, life, faith and spirituality. Her husband died years ago but she never had any romantic relationship after him. She has a group of friends whom she goes out with every Saturday to have lunch and to talk about books, news and life in general. But there are times when she also shares how tired she is of her life, "I'm tired. I think I already had enough. You know living sometimes gets boring but I will never take my own life because that's against my beliefs." I had talked to her about my faith, my personal relationship with God and my love for Him. I'm not sure what she believes in but she listens attentively to my stories. I think she's still searching because I found books about God, Jesus, Christianity and Buddhism. I really don't know.

A woman who was facing the difficulties of aging asked Bible teacher J. Robertson McQuilkin, “Why does God let us get old and weak?” McQuilkin replied, “I think God has planned the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age is spiritual. We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary so we’ll be sure to concentrate on the strength and beauty that is forever. And so we’ll be eager to leave the temporary, deteriorating part of us and be truly homesick for our eternal home. If we stayed young and strong and beautiful, we might never want to leave.”

"When we are young, we can’t wait to grow up. When we are old, we look back longingly to former years. But God intends that we joyfully take each season of life as it comes. Whatever our age, He imparts what we need to be all that we can be. He asks us to commit our way to Him and accept the struggles He allows and the strength He provides." -De Haan

Ruth and Anne are nice people. They enjoyed their life to the fullest but I think what's missing in their lives is the happiness that only Him can give. I believe that no matter how difficult life can be, a person can still feel peace and happiness through Him. He owns our heart. He knows how to do the twitching. We just have to ask for His grace.

I found my love, peace and joy in Him. Help me pray for them. Pray for me, so I could be an effective instrument to share that grace. =)

There’s a longing in every heart that only Jesus can satisfy.