29 Mar Generation to Generation
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4
Below is an interview with Kathy Lewis at Grace Pelham’s Senior Honor facility: The Gardes at Eastside.
What is your role in the Senior Honor Program?
I am Grace Church’s Senior Honor Volunteer Coordinator at The Gardens. I also visit often to spend time with the residents just visiting, going on outings, helping with activities, having devotionals, etc. One of my favorite activities that I do with them every week is “Melody Memories,” an activity where we choose music from the 1940’s or 50’s to play for the residents; the music from their era stirs their memories and starts conversations where residents share those precious memories with all of us; they also enjoy singing along, playing instruments to accompany the music, etc. Grace also provides a church service at The Gardens every Sunday, and I am also on one of the four teams that rotate through each month. The residents love to sing the old hymns, so we incorporate those into our services; what a privilege it is to worship with them.
What was your initial motivation for volunteering with Senior Honor?
I have always loved spending time with seniors; I have always loved drinking in their stories, their wisdom, etc. However, my motivation to begin at this stage in life, was because of the people I met and grew to love as I helped care for my father-in-law when he was in assisted living at the end of his life. The relationships that I had formed with others where he lived, lived well beyond his life, and continued to bless me.
What has been most surprising or unexpected about your experience?
I think that would have to be the deep richness of relationship with those much more seasoned in life than I am. I have always loved them, but they are beautiful examples every day of loving like Jesus loves, and that is so humbling and challenging to me, every time I am with them.
What do you enjoy the most? What do you enjoy the least?
I enjoy just having fun with the residents! They have a zest for life that is contagious, and we laugh and sing and play games and talk and dance and eat together…always great fun.
We lose residents to death or relocation regularly, and that is very difficult. However, my hope is that we have made their lives while at The Gardens, full and deep and enjoyable; I am certainly better for having known each of them.
What has God been teaching you through your time at The Gardens?
It’s deepened my faith a lot. It’s made me much more compassionate. It’s made me more patient. It’s helped me know more about how serve and care for my own parents as they age. I believe my involvement there is a gift God has given me, and it’s absolutely a fact that whenever I walk out of The Gardens, I feel better than when I walked in. The residents are open and accepting and have a lot of love to give. They often have had a lot of hurt and sadness in their lives by the time we meet them, but when we offer ourselves as someone that they can talk to, we have a great opportunity to encourage them, to serve them, and often to share the good news of Jesus as well. As the old hymn says, I often feel I am standing on “holy ground” when I am there.
Do you have a story or impactful experience you can share?
I had the opportunity to become close friends with a resident named Ellen, and to enjoy that friendship for several years. She walked in the first day, well into her 90s, without a qualm about the transition from her home of many decades, to a much more limited life in assisted living. I soon saw she was the most positive, loving person I had ever known, and her smile was contagious. She lived there until she passed away, right there in her room, at 102 years old. She was a beautiful role model to me of Jesus’ love, a love she spread every day to every person she met. Since the day we met, becoming more like her has been my goal, because she was so much like Jesus.
What would you say to someone considering getting involved with Senior Honor?
Try it- there are many, many ways your can serve in this ministry, and we will try to tailor your involvement to your particular interests and giftings. Though I realize it is not for everyone, it is a unique ministry to a beautiful, richly giving, and often disregarded population. The blessing will be all yours.
