We take it for granted most of the time.
Talking to other people.
I was chatting with a young lady who works online in customer care for a major company and found out that there are lots of lonely people out there — many elderly —who don’t have anyone to talk to.
Some turn to online help to find a friendly voice. She told me some share with her about being alone — one gentleman told her that he had a ceiling light from the company she works for and it started blinking. “My wife died a few weeks ago. Do you think she is trying to contact me?” He asked sincerely.
She tried to answer him the best she could. Several people call and ask for this young lady. Then they proceed to talk to her like she is a long lost daughter or best friend sharing all kinds of things and chatting.
I remember a homebound woman in my hometown who was confined to bed. But she reached out by phone to people all over the community to make contact, offer prayers, encouragement, and human companionship as best she could. Many depended on her calls to keep them connected and afloat.
Have you ever been home, felt the need to talk to someone, and had no one to call? No one to call you? You sat in silence.
It’s a very lonely place to be.
Look at your circle of friends, church members, and community members. Many churches in the South are aging gracefully; but finding that the children of these dedicated, long time, faithful Christian members are not following their parent’s example. The next generation is often not proving faithful or concerned about church attendance, Bible study, hearing Biblical preaching, and singing praises to our God.
As the parents age, the children fade away.
The next generation may leave the home church where they were nurtured and grew up and begin going to another church that they feel serves their needs and their children’s needs better. It is good that they are in church and passing on the faith.
But who is going to be left to minister to these faithful prayer warriors of many years who have served, worked, taught, and worked for the church until they are no longer able to?
Who will call them? Who will visit them? When they are unable to come to church services, who will go and have Bible study and prayer with them?
When they go to a nursing home or assisted living, who will maintain contact with them to the church and the people they loved so much over the years?
The Bible says in Psalm 71:9: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.”
Be kind; call someone who needs to hear a human voice.
Be kind; stop in and visit with a homebound person.
Be kind; send a card to someone who needs cheering up.
Be kind; do not forget them.
