Nursing Home Salvation

Nursing Home Salvation

By Dr. John E. Morgan

Pastor–Collinsville Baptist Church

The phone rang.  It was the nursing home.

They asked if I could come to talk to one of their patients who was having questions about being saved.  I did not know the lady, but I was glad for the opportunity to talk with anyone about being saved.

I thought about the old expression – “like a brand snatched from the fire”.  A person who is saved just before their life ends is like a stick snatched from a fire just as it begins to burn.  Saved from the fire.

The workers met me and walked me down the hall to the room.  They introduced me to the resident (I will call her Mrs. Smith here).  We sat down in chairs across from each other and began to talk as the staff left the room.

I realized that her dentures were a little loose making some of her words a little hard to understand.  She grew up on the mountain on a farm.  She looked to be in her eighties and had lived a full life.

Every pastor (and I hope every Christian) has a way that they explain salvation to people.  I use a variation of the Roman Road that has been used by many people.  It uses several verses from the book of Romans.

“Mrs. Smith, the workers here tell me that you want to be saved.  Is that right?”  She nodded yes enthusiastically.  “Could I explain to you how that works?”  “Yeth”, she answered through moving dentures.

One of the most exciting things that you can ever do is to lead someone to Jesus.  You are helping them make a decision that lasts forever.  What can be better than that?  We started down that Roman Road.

“Mrs. Smith, did you learn about Jesus growing up?  Did you go to church as a girl?”  A bit of confusion on her face, she nodded yes.

Relieved that she probably knew the basics, I began to explain the Plan of Salvation to her.  “Do you know that Jesus was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life?”  Yeth.  “Do you know that he died on the cross?”  Nod.  “And that on the third day he arose from the grave?”  Another nod.  No stop signs from her, so we continued on down the road.

“The Bible tells us that all of us are sinners.  See it her in Romans 3:23.”  She looked at my Bible, seemed to be able to read it, and sweetly nodded yes.  “It also tells us that sin leads to death.”  At that point on the road I always stop long enough to be sure the person knows what sin is.  And that death means more than physical death.  Mrs. Smith said she understood.

I got back to the Roman Road to explain that Jesus did not have to die because he did not sin.  I always look at the person as I did at Mrs. Smith and ask,

“Did Jesus die?”  Nod yes.  “Why did he die?”  And Mrs. Smith, as almost everybody, said, “For me.  He died for me.”  Or that’s what it sounded like she said.

“Mrs. Smith, do you want to be saved?”  Enthusiastic nod. “In Romans 10:9 it says confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved.  Mrs. Smith, do you believe this?  Are you ready to give him your life?”  A bit of confused look before a nod yes.

“Then let’s pray right now and tell God you are ready to be saved.”  And we held hands there in her nursing home room and prayed.

When we finished, I held her hands a little longer and looked into her eyes.  “Did you pray that prayer?”  Nod.  “Did you mean it?”  “Yeth.”  “Then, Mrs. Smith, you are a Christian.  You are saved.”  Looking in her eyes I smiled and lightly squeezed her hands before turning them loose.

I was quite pleased with myself.  A brand snatched from the fire.  It is so great to lead someone to Jesus.

My job completed, I leaned back in the chair and asked her, “Is there anything else I can help you with Mrs. Smith?”  “Yeth, I want to be saved.”

Confused I said, “Mrs. Smith we just went through how you could be saved.  Did you not understand?”  And I was thinking this poor dear person just isn’t able to understand.  I guess I won’t be trying to work out a baptism with the nursing home people after all.

She looked at me with frustrated eyes, adjusted her dentures and said, “I was saved years ago.  I know I am saved.  What I want is to be shaved.”  And she touched her chin that did indeed have stray hairs sticking out of it.

“Oh, well let me go get someone to help you with that.  Thanks for letting me talk with you Mrs. Smith”.  And I walked out into the hall to find about five workers clutching their sides in laughter.  To this day I do not know if the whole thing was a set up.

But I do know there is a difference between being saved and being shaved.  And I would rather people laugh at me than miss the opportunity to see someone saved.

Because saving a brand from the fire?  That is a close shave.