Seniors Should Ride Off On A Bus Trip To A Casino
Ed, my old neighbor from Saskatchewan, makes light of bus trips for seniors. I told him we had just returned from a seniors’ bus excursion to Victoria. When Ed heard it was not a trip to a casino at Victoria, but the Legislature, the Royal B.C. Museum, downtown Victoria and the harbor and waterfront there, he was sure it was a waste of time and money.
According to Ed, bus trips for seniors are: “A bus full of oldies squashed together, talking loudly, because they are hard of hearing, but won’t wear their hearing aids. They are excited about leaving home even if it is by the bus; eager to do something out of the ordinary with their time.†Ed claims that the only bus trip that makes sense to him is to a distant big casino. There, if you win you feel great, and if you lose, it can be a time to drown your sorrow with more than hot water that you drink at home. Last, of all, Ed says that seniors ride off into the sunset on bus trips, not confident they will live happily, ever after, but determined that something exciting will happen on their road trip.
One positive thing about bus trips is that you may well meet people you do not know. It is always interesting to meet new folks and learn about them. On a bus trip of several days or longer, lasting friendships can be formed. Whatever we do with our time, we can do it with love. Love means many things to people. Love modeled on God’s love is about showing kindness and acceptance to others. It is a willingness to do what is needed to help the other person in need. It forgives others as we have been forgiven by God.
Scott Stabile writes in his book, ‘Big Love,’ that the most significant thing we can do for one another is to be aware of each other. Isn’t it easy to ignore or walk by others on the street with seeing blindness? As we see others but at the same time dismiss them as nobody we know or need to know. Isn’t it even true of family and friends also, that we can see them with blindness? It takes awareness, and a willingness to care about those we know and see. Maybe we give family and loved ones so much space that it is indifference rather than love? Perhaps we are too busy loving ourselves to see others with any real awareness?
Scripture tells us that God is love and that Jesus his Son is the true vine of love. Jesus calls us to be branches of his love. He promises that whoever abides in him will bear much fruit. If we want to experience full joy, we are to abide in Christ’s love. He calls us to love one another as He has loved us.
God loved us by sending Jesus His Son to die as a sacrifice and satisfaction for our sins. Jesus died for us in total love. We ought to love one another in a sacrificial way. When we love others sacrificially like Jesus, his joy is in us, and our joy becomes full.
