Halloween is always a fun day at Saint Simeon’s! We started the day with the staff parade. We had everything from Dr. Suess characters to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! In the afternoon, residents enjoyed our annual Halloween Party!
You’ll find more Halloween photos through this issue. For the full album, visit our Facebook page!
The Rev. Susanne Methven, Chaplain
When I was a child, I loved to hear fairy tales. My parents used to read from a beautifully illustrated oversized book of such tales. The stories began, “Once upon a time….”
When I think about the actual fairy tales, they often have elements that are very unsettling: a wolf who eats a sick grandmother and then her granddaughter, two frightened children—left in the woods—encountering an evil witch, or some stepsisters who treat another sister with great cruelty.
Maybe this is why Hallmark movies are so popular. Conflicts, problems, and relationships are resolved with some version of “they lived happily ever after” in about 90 minutes. We love stories that end well.
But what if we are in a story, in a time that disturbs us, when the story is unsettling. Then what?
Over four weeks in October, we examined the story of Job. Job’s story leaves us unsettled because things don’t go as expected (Job is innocent and suffers), God is not like who we think God is (God is hidden and silent for most of the Book of Job), and loose ends are not tied up as well as a Hallmark movie.
God provides gifts for unsettled times and stories, just as God provided for Job.
The gift of lament: Job speaks honestly with God about his complaints. Even though he feels like a shattered piece of pottery (Job 10), Job continues to seek the hidden and silent God, affirming that God holds all things (Job 12). When we are unsettled, can we honestly talk with God about what is really going on AND trust God’s goodness and love? Both at the same time?
The gift of wonder: When God finally breaks silence, God redirects Job’s attention to wonder. The wonder of the heavens, the wonders of the earth, the wonders of life (Job 38-41). Will wonder change our perspective, put a different frame around our problems, adjust our attentions, and call us to see our lives more clearly?
The gift of encounter: God never rebukes Job. God doesn’t answer Job’s “why” questions. Instead, Job has a firsthand encounter with God. Rather than living on hearsay, now Job sees God with his own eyes (Job 42:6). Are we open to finding God in unexpected places? How will our encounter lead us to see differently?
The gift of a changed heart: Job has many reasons to feel that his friends and family have abandoned him and even increased his suffering. His encounter with God, though, leads him to pray to God for his friends and to welcome his family when they come to him after his fortune is restored. Will we be more forgiving, more generous, more loving even in these uncertain times?
Choose to settle into being unsettled…God will give you gifts. And one more than Job: the gift of Jesus. Will you receive the wonder of Emmanuel, God with us? How will your encounter change your heart?
As we approach the holiday season, we invite you to participate in our annual Employee Appreciation Christmas Fund. Your generous contributions help recognize the dedication and hard work of our extraordinary staff throughout the year.
From knowing each resident by name to offering comfort during difficult times, our staff exemplifies the very essence of compassionate care. Their dedication, professionalism, and genuine warmth have earned praise from residents and families alike, who consistently tell us it's the personal touches and family atmosphere that set Saint Simeon's apart.
To give online, scan the QR code at right or visit saintsimeons.org/christmasfund Questions? Call Tyler Davis, Executive Director of the Saint Simeon’s Foundation at 918-794-1918.
Don’t miss the chance to make a lasting impact this year. Mark your calendar with these key dates for year-end giving.
If you have any questions, call Tyler Davis at 918-794-1918.
Stephanie Colbert, CNA Myrna Davidson, CNA Kristie Flute Dotson Desk Conceierge
“Saint Simeon’s has been great to my dad, and we cannot say enough good things about the staff in Assisted
Living. Stephanie and Myrna have been incredible. We have appreciated these two very much! And Kristie at the front desk has been so kind and sweet to my dad this past year. She was such a bright spot in his days.”
Carrie Ammann
Robert Hillsberry
Margie Schowengerdt
Willis Harrison
Melvin Guynes
James Polan
Barbara Deese
Billie Bowline
George McGarlin
Zerlene Cleaver
Leah McSorley
Nov 1
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Jorja Jacobs
Pat Lazenby
Maxine Cole
Sam Orr
Leonard Elliott
John Waller
Patricia Houston
Linda Woodfin
John Dodson
Gordon Kesselring
Tody Kopczynski
Joann Pollard
Virginia Smith
Mike Davis
Lynda Long Ed Poston
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