Wednesday, October 12, 2011

#9. Silent Seniors


Was he going to keel over or not?” That was the question many of the attendees of the Silver-Tops Seniors Soup Supper were asking themselves as they watched Blaster, (that's Gramps) take his first few bites of Dixie's Shoo-Fly Pie. Gramps lived, and enjoyed the rest of his pie, while others tried a slice for themselves. The group of 40 or so seniors had gathered for a bit of a training session everyone needed to effectively reach out to the teens God had placed in their harvest field of souls.

As most everyone was done eating, their chairman, Bob Tarpin walked to the front of the group and tapped a water glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention. Bob asked everyone to bow for prayer, asking God to bless and lead the following discussion.

He began with, “Thank you for all of you coming, and the ladies that prepared the soup and sandwiches... including the Shoo-Fly pie,” he said with a big smile. It's important that we make sure we're all on the same page and are sharing our own ideas and opportunities. With what we are reaching out with, Satan is certainly going to try to destroy. Our unity is so crucial.”

I want to thank Blaster Jackson for the very moving presentation we had last time. I really sensed that all of you want what Beulah spoke up about. To help out in any way God can use each of us.”

Bob picked up a dry erase marker and drew a large triangle on the white board behind him, in the orientation of a pyramid. He began, “We see many examples of the triangle providing strength and also unity in objects large and small, and trios too. Here at the bottom left of our triangle we'll put, 'Hurting Teens'. To the right we'll write, 'Silent Seniors'. And then at the top of our triangle of strength and unity, we'll put 'Full Joy'.”

Our plan is to build a bridge of understanding and compassion, as God leads us, between ourselves and the teenagers. This done decently and in order as 1Corinthians 14:40 reminds us, will move us both to possess Full Joy.”

You'll notice in our triangle diagram, I refer to our white-haired generation as SILENT SENIORS. I believe that as you and I begin to reach out to the teens, in prayer and action, I'm confident that God will show us powerful ways to connect with those we mentor; ways we never thought of. I also expect each of us will enthusiastically share and encourage each other, one on one, and also in our group meetings here.”

Before I tell you one of the key ingredients to this process toward Full Joy, I want us to use the remainder of this meeting time to begin sharing our own ideas, and thoughts on how this can all happen. What I'd like us all to do, is break up into groups of 4, where no two family members is in the same group. Next, I want each group to pray as a group and then elect a secretary to record all the great ideas you'll be coming up with.”

It might even be a great help to choose a particular teen you know, or one you can visualize and give thought how you can reach out to them without preaching AT them or ruling OVER them.”

Bob continued, “Oh. By the way. You'll want to pray for the teen fishing event our men and women are having at Snyder's Pay Lake this Saturday, at 1:30pm. We all want the efforts of burdened adults that will be fishing for men and ladies, using worms, minnows, and tears, to be blessed by God. It would be well for each of us to review Psalm 126, in our quiet time. And especially the last verse.” 

Bob grinned with one of those expressions where the cheeks and lips gave a smile, but the eyes said this is very serious business for the Lord and the eternal destiny of hurting teens. Do your best. Jesus did His best on Calvary for each of us.