Christmas Eve Care Basket Causes Nursing Home Director to Request Meeting with Minister - Missional Thought of the Day

[James Nored]

On Christmas Eve, we encouraged our members to go out with their families or small groups and bless the lives of someone who was working that evening. We had members take pizzas to hospitals, and one member took 18 coffee mugs with candy to her workers.

Our family put together a care basket filled with a lot of food and snacks and took it to a nursing home that evening. In it, I put a card that I had written in which I told them what we were doing, why, and thanked them for their work and service in the community. I also wrote down my contact information and told them to contact me if I could help with anything.

On Saturday, I received this email from the nursing home director:

 

Dear Mr. Nored;
Many thanks for your kindness to the holiday staff at Colonial Lodge of McKinney. The staff is very appreciative of your thoughtfulness at this wonderful Christmas season of the year; thanks for stopping by.

I would like the opportunity to meet you, please provide me with information about where your church is located.

Again our thanks and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Marci Ellis, Residence Director
Colonial Lodge McKinney
2301 North Brook Drive
McKinney, Texas 75070
972.542.6006


I was so encouraged by this note, and I look forward to meeting with Marci. There is so little kindness in the world that any act like this has the potential to make a huge impact upon people's lives. By seeking the lost--going where they are, like a nursing home--serving the community--in this case, with a care basket--we have the opportunity to genuinely bless people and perhaps, to share the good news with them.

What do you think of this approach to outreach and this story?

[Peter Horne]

James, how'd the meeting with Marci go, and did anything more come from this?  I'm using this story as a discussion starter for our Wednesday night Bible class tonight.  Merry Christmas!!

[James Nored]

Sharon, thank you for the encouragement. Yes, I suppose I'm an idea guy. I hope to spread these ideas and give our people, who are naturally servant oriented, some ideas about how to serve. Many people want to do this, but don't know what might be helpful or impactful in today's society.

 

We love you and John so much, as do our girls!! It is always good to hear from you, Sharon. Hope you are enjoying sunny California!

[Sharon Foster]

I think it's a wonderful approach, and just look at the results.  You've no doubt found a new acquaintance!  Who knows where that might lead.  It was such a simple gesture and yet one that most of us would not have thought about.  Keep the ideas coming because we will eventually learn how to do more of this.  We love you, Becky and the girls, Sharon & John

[James Nored]

Yes, nursing homes can be very tough places for both residents and workers. We try to encourage them whenever we can. After all, this is where we or our parents may soon be.

[David Wilson]

We're inching in that direction. Had a young woman who was working Christmas Eve as a waitress and several of us left our worship service and went there and surprised her with gifts and company. That was in reach, though. Having gone through the nursing home experience with my mother in law last year it was horrible. And the workers were toughened by the day to day grind. So your idea was to minister to those who minister to the "least of these." I love it.

 

David

[James Nored]

Thanks, David! I remember walking up to the nursing home that night. There were four cars there. It was cold, dark, and rainy. And I was glad that I was not working that night. 

 

It would have been easy to skip out on this and have gone straight home to our warm house and the fire with my family. But I'm glad that I didn't. 

 

We don't have to do much to impact people for Christ and change people's perceptions of us. I call these "little miracles."

[David Wilson]

I think it was an awesome way of bringing the love of Jesus into a tough job site among people who can be tough to reach.