"Living On The Brink Of Eternity!" That's a phrase we often use to describe the condition of those we are ministering to in the nursing homes day after day. The generation that has given us so much is now near eternity's door and someone must reach them with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was brought to focus recently as I was asked by a nursing home staff worker if I would visit a lady whose physical condition was at the point where Hospice was now involved in her treatment. Of course I agreed to go and found the woman more alert than I had anticipated. She told me her grandson had visited her from North Carolina and had impressed upon her the need to trust the Saviour for salvation. I presented the gospel to her as clear as I could but did not feel she was ready to make a conscious, valid decision to accept Christ as her Saviour. I went back to the nursing home a few days later and she seemed even more alert. But as I again told her about the love of God in sending His Son to die on the cross for her sins, and that she could personally know that eternal life would be hers by trusting Christ, she began to evidence a tremendous lack of clarity in her speech and thought. I left her with a gospel tract and told her again that I would visit her on another day. I expected to see her this week but was I received a phone call from the nursing home today informing me that influenza was making its way through the facility and they were not allowing any non-staff workers into the nursing home. I don't know when I will be able to see this woman again, but if the flu causes the home to shut its doors for any length of time, it very well may be too late to reach her with the gospel.She is literally "living on the brink of eternity", as are so many in the many nursing homes that we travel to on a weekly basis. It is often frustrating to know that there are those who are reachable but cannot be reached. By that I mean that we can only travel so much. If more people would consider the importance of a multiple nursing home ministry like ours, we could see more people reached while there's still time. Often, the 'window of opportunity', to clearly understand their need for salvation, of those whose minds have become affected by dementia or Alzheimer's disease, or by many medications, is very small and opens for a very brief moment. It is imperative that someone be there at that moment with the truth of the gospel.
When we recently returned from a trip out west to visit our son and his family, we learned that a dear man whom we have come to love over the years at one of our larger nursing homes facilities, had passed. Fortunately, he knew the Lord and was prepared to go home. The staff said that he had tried to wait for us to return. Apparently, he wanted me to do his funeral, but it was too late. It would have been nice to have been with him in his last days, but we will see him one day.
The nursing home ministry creates mixed emotions. While we see death all around us, and sorrow that so many either outright reject the Saviour, or are in such a physical condition that they are incapable of comprehending their need, we also rejoice that some have responded to the gospel message and are assured of their eternal destiny. We are grateful for those churches and individuals who consider this ministry important enough to partner with us through prayer, and financially. May the Lord raise up more workers for this field that is continually "white unto harvest".
