Jun 2010 14
Rehabilitation Center Visit4
Posted In Life At Koinonia
This past Sunday, Gracepoint Austin got to visit once again the South Congress Rehabilitation Center. We recognized several familiar faces and made acquaintances with new residents who were able to make it to our program, and we enjoyed singing “Your Love is Deep” together, listening to a message by one of our grad group bros, and spending some time giving them gifts (with the verse Zephaniah 3:17 attached). It was a wonderful way to begin our Summer of Servanthood, just a few days after our kickoff rally. We look forward to being able to visit once a month here, and getting to know (and share God’s love with) these precious folks!
Feel free to leave a comment below and share about your experience!
Click here to see more pictures from the event.
I was especially thankful for the South Congress Rehabilitation Center visit this time around as I was able to be with an elderly woman who couldn’t really talk. Despite this limitation of not being able to converse with her, I could tell that she was soaking in the songs and Jeremy’s message as she nodded in affirmation and kept stroking the words on the handouts (esp to the song “Your Love is Deep”). I could tell that she was grateful for our presence as she frequently smiled and teared up in joy.
It is my prayer that she and the many others we met on Sunday were able to experience a taste of God’s tangible love through our visit. As so many people use the summer to relax and watch the days vanish into nothingness, i’m thankful that we have chosen to collectively make the most of our time through acts of love and servanthood. Lastly, I’m thankful that Chloe and Allison were also in attendance as they seemed to steal the show wherever they went!
Wow, that’s a great story David. Thanks for sharing with us. Likewise when I saw several of the residents following along to the motions of “Your Love Is Deep,” it was so moving. It’s so clear when you go to places like SCRC, that in the end your salary, accolades, degrees, don’t matter – what does, is whether you have a relationship with the One who created you. Even though the residents were 60, 70, 80+ years old, and many unable to help themselves, as we sang that song, I saw how God must view them each as his daughters and sons, precious to him because he loves them. Look forward to going back!
Btw, yeah – there was this moment where one of the elderly men held Chloe’s hand…it was so precious.
mm yeah =] I really enjoyed my experience at the Rehabilitation center as well. The lady Becky and I were talking to had trouble speaking and her voice was really weak and she kept saying that she was sick… During the song Zephaniah 3:17, she started to tear up and I was so touched because i saw, firsthand, how God can move someone through such a simple medium. It was such an amazing sight!! Afterwards, she was more talkative and she said that she wished we would come back again. Hearing those words really encouraged me and made me so happy! =D Then i pushed her back to her room…and she showed me pictures of her kids/grandkids. Really awesome experience!
I had a wonderful visit to the rehabilitation center! I met a nice elderly gentleman named James Lee (but unlike our JL he is caucasian!) and he shared with me his two loves, love of history (especially American history) and baseball (which happens to be two subjects I love!!). He shared with me some of his past hurts, his parents’ passing, the fact that he never married, but he is still so full of zest and life. We even paid a visit to his room where he showed me pictures of some precious people in his life and where he told me how he prays to God. So I’m excited about going back and building a relationship with this man who is a walking history book! I hope to share God’s love with him and btw, he really loves hymns, especially the one we sang, ‘how great thou art’ and ‘amazing grace’. I said I will bring a mini-hymnal for him next time I come and he smiled with acknowledgment! Praise the Lord for precious people like him!