Friday, May 20, 2016

TLC at GLC

My heart is smiling.

If you're friends with me on Facebook, go on over to my page and watch the video I shared Thursday night.

For the rest of you, lemme tell ya 'bout it.

I posted a couple weeks ago about a woman at GLC who is sometimes quite difficult. And about the hope I had in witnessing a positive interaction between her and a care-giver one morning. The entire scene was encouragement for me to not give up trying to reach a person.
Even a hard person.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon.

I walked into the memory care unit and heard a new-to-us musician playing. The song was fun and upbeat, so I started dancing. A few heads turned to watch me, and I let their attention spur me on to more silliness and dramatic interpretive dance.
Yes, I love performing for these folks. Anything to make them smile.
And that's when I saw it. A great.big.smile on the face of that woman who isn't often very pleasant.
She was looking straight at me, watching me dance, and seemed to be enjoying it right along with everyone else.
That view in itself was enough to make my day. But it got better.
The daughter of one of our residents took a cue from my silliness and started dancing with me. That is, we had our arms around each other, swaying and twirling, and having a bunch of fun.
And when that dance was over?
I decided to take my chances and ask my smiling friend if she would like to dance with me.
She agreed to it - with a smile - and if you can get to my Facebook page, you can watch.
So glad my supervisor had her phone with her and got the video.

Encouragement, once again, my friends:
Never give up reaching out to someone with love. Never, ever give up!

Karen

4 comments:

SC Mom said...

God calls us to love those that are hard to love. I have had an experience with that in the past and I failed with my father-n-law. He lived with us for about 4 years and it didn't work out and he ended up going back and living with his sister :( So glad He helped you get through to that woman :)

Karen Hossink said...

SC Mom - I am thankful, too, for God's hand in reaching out to my friend.
As for your father-in-law, I wonder if God sees it as a failure, as you do. Since God knows all things, and therefore knew your fil wouldn't stay past four years, perhaps He allowed it anyway because He intended to use the struggle to work in you or other members of your family? The way I see it, just because your fil moved out of your house doesn't mean God wasn't working something for good. Perhaps in HIS eyes, there is a victory. :)

SC Mom said...

Thank you very much for your words of wisdom. I have been pondering them and as I look back I think you are right. God has worked in me through it because I can honestly say if I had been seeking Him, been constantly in the word, been constantly in prayer, instead of trying to do some of the things myself, it would have ended differently. I do see it as a blessing. I am thankful for that time and Glory to God!

Karen Hossink said...

SC Mom - Glory to God, yes!
He never wastes a thing. May God continue to work good things in and through you.