"I'd love a visit. The Pastors from my church don't visit anymore."
In all fairness, the Pastoral Staff may be overwhelmed with meetings, emergencies, problems to solve, services to plan and prepare for and everyday responsibilities. Is that like the busy people in the story of the "Good Samaritan"?

Visiting a homebound old lady does not seem like the productive thing for a busy Pastor to do. But a proper understanding of the purpose of the visit and what to talk about will show it has value beyond measure--both for the woman and for the Pastor.

The purpose of the visit is to help her (the elderly person) feel valued.

Diminished abilities that come from aging do not diminish the elderly person's value. Honoring people with your presence and giving them the valuable donation of your time, recognizes their worth. It is what they need and desire most of all.

Listen to her/their story.  Her life, lived over many years, is full of meaning with countless events that teach lessons and instill wisdom. Most people do not see the potential of time spent with an old lady and are not interested in her story anymore. Often she does not think it matters. But it feels good for her to tell it and she feels honored when someone cares enough to listen.

Within the details of a life are the things that define the meaning of life and reveal what matters most.
At the death-bed of an old man sat his wife of 70 years. She welcomed me to this sacred scene with a smile. The sum of many ordinary events, meals prepared, chores accomplished, bills paid, miles travelled, mixed with hugs, kisses, laughter, tears, happy and sad emotions, added up to a meaningful existence that I could feel as she told me about their life together. They carried out their lives through times of peace and war, prosperity and poverty, sickness and health, calm and busy. Sometimes they didn't know how they would make it. Other times it seemed they had it figured out.

Only the elderly can tell that kind of story and only those who listen to the elderly can hear it and benefit from it.
So the invitation I received from an old lady is one I plan to accept. Every Care Ministry needs to have a way to care for the elderly. Probably every Pastor should should make some visits to the elderly even if it is not his or her primary responsibility. But those of us devoted to Care Ministry may have the opportunity to be involved in many visits and train others to visit too.

To maximize a ministry to the elderly, there are many great resources available with a simple Google search and through Skilled Nursing Facilities in our area. Home Care Assistance is and organization that I have found helpful over the years. My wife even served as a Care Giver for them, for a season and has many wonderful memories coming from it. They are experts in the art of aging well and understand the full scope of needs of the elderly and their families. Resources that stimulate a "healthy mind" are availalbe for you to take on a visit or give to an old lady that you are visiting.

Whether you are visiting the elderly, or helping someone else visit, you are doing something that matters! It is a ministry that God cares about because you are valuing a life He loves.
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