Whispering Pines still has a heartbeat..

Saturday was our first visit to the old folks home. It was called Whispering Pines. It is a senior retirement home. They have 24 residents and the oldest just turned 100 a couple of weeks ago. I'm never sure what quite to expect when I go to a new place, but Jesus met us there.
Myself, Sis Gloria, Bro. Stephen, Sis Brenda (one of our youth) and my daughter Analycia went. We started with prayer and sang some songs. We had about 16 or 17 of the residents in the room with us. We had a song request for just a closer walk with thee. Thank God I remember all the old songs. My daughter insisted we sing Ive got a mansion just over the hilltop. She learned it when we did this ministry in Salinas. So we sang and then I talked for about 7 minutes about God's love and my burden for them. Sis Gloria read the Bible which they loved. Then I asked the owner if we could just go around the room and pray for each one and she said yes. One lady Natalie said "Please pray that these people tell me the truth about my husband I don't know where he is." It was so sad, but we prayed. I asked one man named Vern, what would you like us to pray for Vern? He said "Oh honey its to late for me." I laughed and we all did and I told him "Oh Vern its never to late. God is still on the throne." He said "well ok then go on ahead and pray for me." We went to each one and asked them what they wanted prayer for. Most of them had a prayer request. Some of their eyes filled up with tears and they were so grateful. I held each ones hand as we prayed and this compassion welled up inside of me as I prayed tears began to stream down my face I couldn't help it. At that moment I felt so honored God would allow me to pray for these precious souls. That is what they are. Precious to the Lord. When some of them looked at me while we were praying you could see the thankfulness and tender hearts looking back. I was overwhelmed with Gods love for these sometimes forgotten elderly folks. Then as we made our way around the room we began to pray for one of the nurses who has been working there for 9 years. She began to weep as we prayed over her. God gave me a word for her and she wept harder and just kept staring at me like how did you know? The elderly man next to her began to cry with her that made me cry harder. Oh there were so many tears. Good tears that wash the soul. Then we were allowed to go into the rooms where some of the residents cant get up easily and we prayed for each one of them. We could of spent most of our day there. The people and staff loved us and didn't want us to go. The owner came up and hugged me and thanked me for coming. She said what a wonderful thing our church is doing as a volunteer work. I give God all the glory. He put this in my heart. God placed a burden for the old and the young in my heart a long time ago. There is no good thing in me. We are just Gods vessels. He loves these old people and I feel it is the will of God to go and reach out to them and pray for them and visit them. It blessed us so much to be able to be used by God for this purpose. We were invited back for lunch next Saturday and to stay longer. They invited us to cook once a month. I love to cook and so does Bro. Stephen so this will be awesome. I had to share what a blessing it was to give of my time to the Lord. He blessed my soul through these elderly folks. Thank you to all who went. On my way home I thanked my 8 year old daughter for going. If you could of seen her as she sang her little heart out and she layed hands on the old people and prayed over them and loved being with us and working in this ministry it was so beautiful to me. I told her, "honey I'm so proud of you. I'm so glad your my daughter. Jesus is so proud of you. You are so special to Jesus." I was crying and she said, "well the old people need Jesus too Mommy, they are the forgotten generation remember??!" As I wiped my tears I said, "yes they are honey. Yes they are." Thank you Lord for this opportunity to serve you and do your work in our community. Thank you pastor for allowing us to be blessed!!