Old Times, Hard Times, Good Times and Times to Come - The Ministry of Hospitality

I have the privilege of being a pastoral care visitor for All Peoples United Church and the people who call there who need someone to talk to. Part of our conversation will be about how we can we still serve God, our fellow humans and the natural world when we are losing faculties that we once took for granted - things like sight, hearing and mobility.

And it always happens that when my ministry partner, Irja, and I come away from a pastoral care visit - we always feel enlivened by the Spirit. We come empty-handed and we leave with hearts overflowing.

More and more I am appreciating the ministry of hospitality - when people invite you into the place where they live - be it a castle or a cottage - and offer you their time, their stories, a warm or cold beverage, and sometimes a snack. (There is a reason why people in ministry drape their expanding bodies in large robes.)

Reta (not her real name) gave me permission to tell this story. Reta has a disability where her limbs lock, for reasons unexplained, and for which medication is not always helpful. This means that she can take nothing for granted - right down to where she will find herself sitting or standing.

I can tell you that were I in that situation, what few homemaking skills I have - and my husband will attest that they are very few - would be abandoned. But not Reta. When you walk into her apartment you feel like you are walking into a wonderland and a bakery put together. Her home always is inviting - clean and tidy, yes - but also decorated for each season.

When you enter into her living room you practically feel the furniture give you a big hug and the trees outside of the bay window wave at you as if to say, "Welcome home." Irja, Reta and I talk about old times, hard times, good times and times to come - always with the understanding that life is a precious gift, no matter how difficult or easy the circumstances may be.

Reta might read to us a short inspirational story, Irja will delight us with the adventures of her canine nephew George, and I will talk about unusual meetings and unexpected outcomes. Reta will put on a pot of tea. You and I don't think of that as being a challenge - but when you cannot predict what your next step is going to be like or whether or not your arms will work - it's a leap of faith.

We move to the kitchen table, which has a lace covering and charming placemats. Our milk comes from a dainty pitcher, not a blue jug with a bulging milk bag. (Though I love being served this way too.) And Reta will have some home baking. This last time it was gingersnaps. You know how challenging rolling out dough can be. Think about doing it without bending your arms. Imagine opening an oven door when your balance is precarious at best.

We always end our visit by holding hands and praying. We give thanks for those blessings we can still experience and those we can't. We give thanks for our time together because we do not know what the future holds for us. That's why I appreciate this folksy but wise maxim.

Yesterday is history

Tomorrow is a mystery

Today is a gift.

That's why it's called the present.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_C._Steven