An Ageing Society
We are an ageing society. As the general population ages, so do the members of our churches. The foundational members of our churches are experiencing chronic illness, dementia, physical limitations and isolation, and many are not able to physically join in the faith life of the community. We are all called as Christians to be […]
Egg on Our Faces
One of the biggest things we relinquish when we have recognised that we will be caregiving someone for the long haul is control. It is a stubborn, ongoing conundrum to have to take charge of what is needed in the care of another at the same time that we have to let go of control […]
What Does God Want?
Ponder God wants us to be the best person that we can be with all of our strengths and all of our weaknesses. Each one of us is unique. God does not want us to try to become someone else. God does not expect us to do things that are beyond our abilities. God leads […]
Becoming Real
When the caregiving task is felt and known to belong to us, we take on the responsibility of it. It happens almost despite us. At the core an inner response, and inherent ability to respond, takes up the challenge that we will never know the full dimensions of. It’s like finding oneself in mid-air before […]
The Purpose of Life
Ponder In the second half of life, we begin to understand that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We glimpse the great mystery of life. We discover at a deep level what it means to be children of a merciful and loving God. We recognise that who we are in relation to God […]
Who Am I?
Ponder In the second half of life, we begin to understand that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We glimpse the great mystery of life. We discover at a deep level what it means to be children of a merciful and loving God. We recognise that who we are in relation to God […]
Death: A Public and Private Event
Death is a public as well as a private event. The loss of a loved one, companion, friend is of course very personal, evoking deep and varied emotions. But it is also an event that stretches beyond the immediate family and friends and at a funeral or memorial service it takes on a public aspect. […]
The Inner Yes
The daily gift of being remembered into God’s keeping and growing the humility of letting in, little by little, how much we are cherished and revered can change the course of our caregiving from one of dread and obligation to one of courage and acceptance.
The Second Half of Life
Some people dread getting older. Others insist that with age comes wisdom, a deep appreciation of life, and a new kind of freedom. When we embrace the second half of life, we can scoff at stereotypes depicting older people as forgetful, feeble, and bad-tempered. We can cling to the adage that aging is simply mind over matter: if we don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!
The Gaze of Love
In the tension, the slop, and the clean-up, the hurry and waiting, fearing and unknowing that fill a
caregiving day, how can we possibly grasp that we are revered and precious? Who me?