Author Archives: dcreamer

By Doug Creamer

            I was invited by a reader to come and speak at her church’s community senior’s group. Mt. Gilead church is located near Sophia. They invite local seniors to join their members for a nice lunch and a guest speaker. I was honored to be invited as their speaker. Actually, I was scheduled to speak back in February, but we got snowed out.

            It was a beautiful day to drive out to the church. It was down some twisty roads in the rolling part of Randolph County. The drive was so peaceful and the people were so welcoming. I spoke before we ate so I kept a close eye on the time. The aroma of the food wafting from the kitchen made my mouth water.

            I started off my presentation by honoring a man, Tom Watson, who was buried not far from where I was speaking. I had never met the man, only talked with him on the phone years ago. He took about thirty minutes of his life to listen to my dreams about writing and encouraged me to contact a local paper and begin writing to build my skills. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be writing as I am today. I wanted to honor him.

            Next, I told them about a time when I was looking for a new church. I told them about some churches where no one spoke to me or welcomed me to their church. I talked to them about the importance of having greeters at the door. I also reminded them it is everyone’s responsibility to make visitors feel welcome. Why would someone want to join a church where they didn’t feel welcome when they walked in the door?

            The main message I shared with my listeners is the need every church has for spiritual grandparents. I explained to them that God does not have a retirement plan. In the room that day sat incredible wisdom, life experiences, and testimonies to God’s faithfulness. I told them that there were people in their church that needed to hear their stories. Your story can change someone’s life. We just have to be brave enough to share our experiences with others.

            I illustrated my point by talking about the stages of life. I asked them to remember being newlyweds and having their first argument and how it felt like the world was going to end. I asked them to remember what it was like to have your first baby and all the worries. Then consider the terrible teen years or becoming empty nesters. These were just a few of the many stages of life they had all navigated and survived. Their stories could help others.

            Speaking of survival, I told them that I knew there had to be some cancer survivors in that group. I asked them to remember the devastating day when the doctor told them they had cancer, but here they were survivors. I told them that there were people in their church who either recently received or would receive that same news and how their testimony of survival could make a huge difference in those people’s lives.

            I encouraged the older men to invite the younger guys along on a fishing or hunting trip. There is so much that can be imparted in a casual, relaxed environment. Just being in fellowship opens the door of opportunity to pour into each other’s lives. I told the older women that the younger women needed their guidance on how to balance work, family, social, and church life. I told the women that younger women look up to them and because of their experiences might find it easy to talk with them about life’s ups and downs. All retirees can be great role models for younger folks, a source of encouragement, and powerful prayer partners.

            If you find yourself like me being put in the category of being a retiree or a senior, then let me encourage you to step up and offer your stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness to the next generation. Your stories need to be told. People need to know that God still comes through for us. He’s still in the saving business. He’s still in the fixing business. He still forgives and restores us. He cares, listens and works on our behalf. We have to have faith and trust Him. He is the all-powerful God of the impossible! Nothing is too difficult for Him. No one is beyond the reach of His love. We all have stories and testimonies to share. Let’s open our hearts and lives to others and allow Him to use us.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com