What Seniors Need – Seniors Need Each Other
(This piece is about seniors needing each other in peronal, practical, and spiritual ways. Personal reflections are at the end, or clearly marked in the piece.)
When people come together to accomplish a task, they get a lot more done. I have seen this recently in Man of LaMancha practice. Each of the four practices for musicians only has been intense, confusing at times, and productive. In the end we met our objectives for that rehearsal. Sometimes it was like swimming through mud, but we got through it together. Each of us contributed our skill and our input, and we got the job done. None of us could have done this on our own. Although most were not seniors, the principle still applies, we all need each other. For seniors, that is especially true. Yes, we need each other for practical assistance.
We also need each other for personal reasons. We need companionship. We need company. We need somebody from the church or community to check on us and minister to us. Are we sick? Injured? Backslidden? Depressed? A widow or widower? Even for those who are active in church and community, they may feel isolated and may be cut off from the help they so desperately need. Recently, I needed several people to help me get through some confusion over scheduling for Man of LaMancha. It took a whole team to straighten my out! Not only did I need them practically, but I also needed them personally. I needed that encouragement and the affirmation I received on a fairly deep level. My chief encourager in this life is my wife, Karen. Can you relate? Do you understand? My website, www.pastorjohnsseniormoments.com tries to provide those two types of help – practical and personal.
But the biggest and most important reason we need each other is spiritually. We need people to ask us questions about the Bible, to talk things through about Bible characters or passages, to pray for us, to pray with us, to remind us that God is with us, that He loves us, and He is there for us. We need people to sharpen our iron. Prov. 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (NLT)
Aside from spiritual activity listed above, aside from needing each other in practical, personal, and spiritual ways, there is one Savior who ties it all together, who “works everything together for good for those that love Him, who are called according to His purposes.” (Rom. 8:28) At the center of all our needs and all our hearts, we need Jesus in every way. He’s the connector to our souls, to all who believe in Him. To those that don’t … Well, I hope you know Jesus.
(Personal reflections: I need people and Jesus in all these ways. I bet you do too!)
