This past weekend I had the privilege on taking my 6-year-old Natalie and my 9-year-old Gabe on a Cross Point missions trip to Wheelwright Kentucky.
Part of that trip was a visit to a nursing home.
I use the term nursing home loosely, honestly there were not many elderly people there, surprisingly most of the tenants looked to be under 50. The home felt more like a place for the people of Wheelwright that they did not know what to do with.
Our missions group Armed with storage buckets filled with some toiletries , small “HOPE” canvases painted by the children at Cross Point and some heavily decorated construction paper cards each with a bible verse on the front and signed on the inside by the sweet child who had decorated it .
We broke up into groups to cover the long three story building ,we made our way through the small old smelly hallways filled with patients and began passing out the gifts.
Hoping they would find hope, praying with those that wanted to be prayed for , some just wanted to talk.
Some of the patients hung out in the hallway ,others were sitting in their nearly empty room each had a small tv a cot and a dresser.
My daughter Natalie armed with a stack of cards much braver than I headed into each room. I trailed behind her praying to God help me find the person who needed to hear from him.
We found Marcus at the end of our visit at the nursing home.
He appeared to be no older than 45. Had he not been in that place sitting on his cot alone in his room you wouldnt have known there was anything “wrong” with him . I remember thinking he would look handsome in a suit. He sat up as Natalie walked in ,his eyes look confused at the sight of this little girl walking into his room holding out a large pink card covered in stickers and one large red blob of a flower gracing the front cover.
He took the card and said “Thank you”
He looked from her to me …speechless
I introduced myself, he replied I’m Marcus (confused)
I wondered how long it had been since anyone had visited him.
Marcus is there anything I can do for you ? is there anything I can pray with you about ?
He had lowered his head during the introductions’ then tipping his face back up at my last question in the softest of voices he says on word.
“Happiness”
I walked over placing my hand on his slender back .
& Prayed for him.
That he would be Happy knowing that the Lord loved him, that he was a precious son to the creator of all that is good. That he would be able to find happiness no matter what his current circumstance in the knowledge that God is always with him loving him, believing in him ,rooting for him . God wanted him to know he was not forgotten.
With tears in his eyes he thanked me.
While I blinked back my own set of tears and thanked him.
Please join me in praying for The people of Wheelwright and for Marcus they need to know they are not forgotten.
Natalie the card bearer.
I chose not to take my camera to the nursing home I would love to have a picture of Marcus to share with you. Perhaps my next visit.
Lost and Found 