Solitary Wheelchair in the Sun

 I had a lot to do this morning. I had pastoral visits to make and in between them I thought I would go early vote to avoid the lines on November 5th. There were lines out the door on this October 23 early voting day. I waited 50 minutes to cast my ballot. 

Before I voted I stopped at a care facility to check on one of our members. This lady has been sick in and out of the hospital for much of 2024. After I parked, I noticed an older lady in a wheelchair out in the parking lot. She was sitting in sunny space just below the road. After my visit, I noticed she was still in that same position. She had not snuck out. Other residents were sitting outside as well. 

Alone. Bound to her wheelchair. Basking in the sun. I had no idea what she was thinking as she watched all the cars go by in a hurry to get to somewhere. Maybe she remembered times when she used to drive down that same road. Perhaps she was lost in thought and preferred to be alone. It is possible that she was lost in worship of God in the beauty of His creation. Maybe she is alone because she has outlived everyone who knew and cared about her. 

At one point, this lady was young. Filled with dreams and aspirations. She was filled with vitality and probably a stunning beauty. I am sure she lived a productive life. At some point that enemy we all must face began catching up to her. Time. Over time young people age. The young and vibrant eventually become old and feeble.

 I contrast the solitary lady in the wheelchair with a young couple waiting in line to vote a few people ahead of me. They had a young child of about two. The wife was pregnant and by the look of things due to deliver in the not-too-distant future. She looked with loving admiring eyes at her baby boy and her husband. The lady in the wheelchair was once young and vivacious just like that young lady today. 

Time catches up with all of us. My college roommate told me about pictures he saw from people we went to college with at the Howard Payne homecoming. He commented about how old they looked. It's nearly been 25 years since we graduated. That happens to all of us. We look older for good reason, WE ARE OLDER. The bodies age. Hair thins. Joints ache. The mind slips a little. Energy levels drop. We grow less sure footed with our balance. Muscles atrophy. Eyesight dims. Hearing may reduce. It is common among us as we age. 

Most of us take our independence for granted. We dash around on our own two feet, and we drive in vehicles with our driver's license making it legal. I visited with an 84-year-old lady today who still has a driver's license, but it has long since expired. She has not driven in years. She needs help to do a lot of things today she used to do on her own before. I have known this lady for decades and though her mind is still sharp, I see the body slowly withering. 

Many times, I stop and reflect in my pastoral ministry that one day it could be me in the wheelchair isolated in a care facility forgotten by people who once knew me. One day people will not care that I was a pastor. Pastors get replaced all the time. Love and loyalties are bestowed on the new man as time and distance make people forget about the aging pastor's ministry. 

We will all grow old one day should Jesus tarry long enough. The question I am pondering today is how we want to be treated when that happens. We can use our last days to be of useful service to the Lord in some ministerial area. We can also age gracefully. Choose joy in the triumphs and the tragedies. In our old age, we will want people to still care for us. So, while we have the chance, let us express that same kind of care to people we know who are getting long in the tooth. One day it could be us sitting solitary in a wheelchair basking in the sun.