When she was ordained, Rev Dr Anne-Louise Critchlow wasn’t looking forward to visiting care homes as part of her work, but in doing so she learned to value time.
Why is it important to slow down? I believe because rushing around, we can get so stressed and anxious, that we have no inner peace and can easily miss the ways in which the Holy Spirit wants to nudge us and discover how we can be used in the Kingdom of God.
Most appreciate us when we have time to listen to them; and when we genuinely empathise with them and feel real compassion, like Jesus did when he met with people. Taking time brings beauty into our lives because we have time to appreciate our natural surroundings, even in the park up the road. Think about a country walk, rather than a mad dash in our car!
When I was first ordained I mistakenly thought, ‘Oh no! Surely I don’t have to visit care homes!
When I was first ordained I mistakenly thought, ‘Oh no! Surely I don’t have to visit care homes! I want to spend time with young people, helping with after school clubs and coordinating my Street Pastors team.’ How wrong I was! Of course it’s important for us to have contact with the younger generation, but that doesn’t mean that visiting care homes is not an enjoyable and fulfilling ministry.
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If nothing else, many of the stories of the older people I met are so full of fun and happiness. Allowing them to share is a way of helping them reconnect with their past. One couple, when celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary, both in the mid-90s, told me how like the old song, ‘Daisy, daisy, give me your answer do’, they had not only met on a bike ride but also left for their honeymoon on two wheels as well!
An older person, who is wise in the faith, also has so much to give us
An older person, who is wise in the faith, also has so much to give us – and they’re talking to you, rather than standing in the pulpit, so you can’t say you haven’t heard or were daydreaming through the sermon! Special relationships with anyone of any age can only be established with a slowing down of time. Think about listening to your grandson or granddaughter sharing their special secrets as you collect pinecones together!
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Many end-of-life, palliative care nurses have written on social media about what really matters to people in the last days and hours of their lives. Apparently, no one wishes they had spent more time in the office! Their thoughts are centred on love and forgiveness and family relationships. Forgiveness and love are hallmarks of our faith.
If death is the ultimate ‘slow down’, then any variety of slow-down in life will help us to think about what is really important in life. I have heard so many stories from people who have regretted decisions in the past. Some have had affairs, which have ruined their wider family relationships. Some tragically stayed too long with partners who abused them. In retrospect, we start to relive some of the special moments of our lives. We think back to our upbringing. And regrets? Yes, of course; but how wonderful to know that as Christians we have complete forgiveness for the ways we have messed up.
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It is a great privilege to meet older people who in their later years are thinking about who God might be, perhaps for the first time. ‘I’ve learnt so much,’ confided a lady in her 90s who had never considered faith before. ‘I’ve heard about who Jesus really was and I’m going to keep this palm cross next to my bed to remind me!’
‘You know that prayer you left with us about the lost sheep?’ a younger woman suffering from MS shyly reminded me, after the Covid lockdown had cut us off for some months. ‘I’ve been praying it every night throughout the pandemic.’ And time for us too to think about the ways God has taught and guided us.
If you want to read more about my experiences with older people as well as some of the tricky moments in my own life, read Slowing Down: Finding beauty in the slow lanes of life, published by Instant Apostle and available online and in bookshops.
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