Thursday, June 02, 2005

I love old folks...

One of my best friends, or at least I thought he was; recently added my blog to his list of friends' blogs. Of course you name the link on your blog. So, he named mine The Geri Playhouse. This is an obvious referral to the fact that I work as the Senior Adult intern at First Baptist Church Crowley, TX.

People are constantly amazed that a man of the somewhat youthful age of thirty can work with people twice his age. They wonder at how I can go play dominos on a perfectly good Friday night with my seniors, or take them to a Southern Gospel Singin', or one of the many other outings we have. Well, let me tell you how I can do it. First, they love me, and treat me well. Second, they are a fun group of people. Sure, it takes them a little longer to get to the fun, but they know how to have it when they get there. They have experience. Next, they are full of great stories. I can't tell you number of times I have laughed with my seniors, or cried with my seniors about the wonderful things and the tragedies that have befallen their lives. Finally, my seniors are an ispiration. Older people have the best testimonies. I have seen in my seniors, God's hand at work. When they tell about their lives I get the picture of faithful Christians living faithful lives. I get to see what it is like to live out a saint's life. I get to see the struggles, and the victories, I get to see how God is faithful to provide, how God chastens, and how God blesses. It inspires me to keep running the race when I see one of my 80 year olds sitting in a pew singing praises to God, when I know that they are suffering with plueresy or diabetes, some other ache that would keep a 20 year old moaning in his bed on Sunday morning. My seniors are God's testimony that the Christian life can be lived.

So, go ahead, call it Geri's playhouse. It's not so bad. Oh, and if you want, you can join me tomorrow night @ 6:30 pm for a rousing evening of 42, Mexican train, and Chicken foot. Don't worry, you'll be home by 9:30.

1 comment:

dashadra said...

I love it that you love to spend time with these saints. I have never seen someone so attentive to people who are generations apart from their own life. Your dedication to the senior adult ministry and the people that make up that ministry is a blessing to me and to others. You keep doing what you do best and dont worry about how others might perceive your calling.