As I was driving the other day, I passed a man on Hebron who was holding a sign that mentioned his wife is on oxygen and they are having a hard time financially, so any help would be appreciated. I’m sure some of you have seen him there before if you’ve driven down Hebron past where all the restaurants are before the Dallas North Tollway. There are actually a lot of people who hold signs for help in the area, and I usually say a quick prayer for them and keep on driving; but this time I was stopped at that light and I looked at his face.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. In his eyes there was such a sad, deep pain that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. As he ever so slowly walked by with his cane, I also noticed a cross necklace around his neck. He was dressed in a casual white t-shirt and khaki pants, his hair was white and his beard was messy, his face covered in dirt. This whole scene made my heart ache. I felt the Lord saying, pray for him. So I did.
I wish I could have stopped and helped him in some practical way, but then the Lord brought to mind the elderly in the retirement home that we have the opportunity to touch on such a personal level. I don’t think I will ever really grasp what it means to them for us to visit these people every other week. Who knows what the Lord is doing in their lives through us being Jesus to them.
Praise the Lord I am able to do something practical for these people by loving them and listening to their stories. Building relationships with them. I still pray for that elderly man on the corner of Hebron and Marsh, who knows if his story is true, or if he is even a believer… but God knows him. He loves him. Knows how many hairs are on his head, the deepest desires of his heart, and wants to call him his son.
Source: A Heart for the Elderly
