Yesterday, I was cleaning some emails, and I came across this post I sent in 2016. I think we are all being called to sing a new song, to be a new way in this world. Our lives can be a hymn of praise and gratitude.
I did make a few edits to the text in the spirit of clarity and I deleted the original quote to include the beautiful Psalm 100. It is probably time to revisit my writing, do some editing, and collect them in a more organized way.
The photograph was taken this week in San Leandro. The dahlia is the official flower of San Leandro. They are a jubilant flower.
August 19, 2016
A few days ago I visited someone I knew from a church I attended some years ago. She is currently residing in a skilled nursing community that I had not visited since the beginning of my time with SpiritCare. I had hoped to start the ministry there, but the director was not interested in a worship service.
I don't think the home has changed much at all in ten years, except that now the front door is locked. As I approached the threshold, a caregiver said, "Sweetie, please wait here." In addition to being the greeter, she was maneuvering one of the residents off a bus and into the home. The resident looked at me and let out a stream of expletives that was surprising. The caregiver stopped, and asked the resident to apologize. She grumpily complied. Truthfully, I was more miffed at being called "Sweetie" than by the unfiltered language. However, I also realized we were all doing the best we could. Wearing a collar continues to teach me patience, and I am grateful.
Eventually, I found the person I was trying to visit, and her laughter brought back many warm memories of our time together years ago when we sang together in choir. As we got caught up on some of our comings and goings, she mentioned the resident who is always cursing. "I finally turned to her one day and told her that it was time for her to learn a new song." She laughed her delightful laugh and said that since then the woman had not said anything at all to her. She is fine with the silence.
Even when dementia is not present, all of us run the risk of repeating the same statements over and over, and too often our thoughts are not positive. Let us follow the psalmist's encouragement to enter the gates of today with songs of thanksgiving and joy. Let us try singing, and being the new song that the world is so aching to hear.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before God with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
God's faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100, NIV
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