How had I ever found myself working with elderly people when my passion was working with children? Why had God taken away my ministry to children and replaced it with this job? I grumbled to myself as I boarded the ancient elevator and chugged my way to the first floor from my activity room on the fourth floor.
I had recently joined the staff as an activities director at an assisted care facility for low income elderly. Many of our residents suffered from chronic mental illness as well as the normal complaints of aging. My job was to engage as many as I could in participating in the various activities the home offered, from sing-a-longs to bingo and a myriadof other offerings.
We had recently moved to the area and I missed my former work with children as a Christian Ed. director. I needed a job to contribute to our income, but with a daughter who was in her senior year of high school and struggling with adjusting to the move, I felt I needed to be home for her sake as much as possible. Since this position required only three days per week, it left time for us to explore our new environment, and to participate in the ministries of the church where my husband pastored.
The building that housed the assisted care facility was old, a former home run by nuns where young women who came to the city for work could room and board. It had some unique characteristics…a small chapel with stained glass windows, high ceilings and tall windows. But one had to look beyond the dingy wall coverings, worn floors, and a lounge that spilled its smoky smell into the front foyer in order to appreciate the building’s uniqueness.
The residents were as unique as the building. One man insisted on wearing his t-shirts wrong side out because his mother had told him that was the way to wear them. One of the women stuffed cigarettes and her Styrofoam coffee cup down the front of her safety pinned dress. I was beginning to learn the residents’ stories and interests, but I still longed for my work with the children. Our current congregation was small in comparison to where we’d been. And there were few children among them.
It was while I was on the elevator that I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “This is your ministry now.”
That left me with a choice. I could continue to grumble and complain or I could make the best of the situation and “bloom where I was planted.” As I proved myself to the administration, they entrusted me with more and more responsibilities. Soon I was able to access the use of a van that enabled me to take residents on outings. We often were offered tickets to cultural and sporting events for free. Plus there were lots of interesting places to visit; the art museum, the domes with their gardens, or even to my house to bake Christmas cookies.
About a year after I started there, the social worker resigned. I could see that with my educational background I could combine the position with the activities making it a full-time job. I presented my proposal to the administrator and he immediately agreed to it. I learned much about social security, SSI, dealing with the mental health system, advocating for my residents and their needs…
The years were going by. The administrator that hired me had moved away. Other changes had come about. The facility was no longer privately owned, but had been granted non-profit status and had a board of directors. The board contacted me about accepting the position as administrator of this non-profit, Christian ministry. I was hesitant to accept. It was a tremendous amount of responsibility. We had between 70 and 80 residents, multiple staff to care for them, maintenance of the facility, a tight budget, etc.
Art, always my encourager, suggested that I agree to give it a try for 6 months. Then if the board and I were both satisfied, we could make it permanent. The board agreed. Now I began to implement some of the changes that I’d only hoped might be possible in the past. My goal was to truly make the place feel like home to each resident.
Ten years after I’d heard that whisper, “This is your ministry now,” the Lord had a surprise for me. But that is another story. When it came time for me to say good-bye, leaving my residents and staff was as difficult for me as leaving behind the children that I’d once ministered to. God had truly changed my heart and each resident was dear to me.