Make time to listen to the wisdom carried by ageing hearts and experienced minds ❤️
One of the things I think about when I’m old — truly old 😅 — is not so much the fear of memory loss or loneliness, although some days I joke that the memory loss has already started. What I wonder most is whether people will still come sit with me, talk with me and visit me even if I no longer remember their names.
Not because they have to. Not out of family obligation. Not because they are being paid to care.
But simply because there is still goodness in the human heart — the kind of goodness God places within us. The kind spoken about in Galatians 5: kindness, gentleness, patience, love. The fruits of the Spirit lived out quietly through human presence and compassion.
If I’m honest, volunteering challenged me more deeply than I expected. Early on I wrestled with my own motives constantly, asking myself whether I was serving out of genuine love, guilt, obligation or simply trying to tick another “good deed” box. But God has a way of exposing the intentions of our hearts. He gently convicts, refines and reminds us that true service is never about performance — it is about love.
And that is what I am learning about the most through this journey: that sometimes the greatest act of kindness is not fixing someone, rescuing someone or even saying the perfect words.
Sometimes it is simply listening.
Bible reading 📖
Job 12: 12 NIV
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
Reflections 🙌
Through this volunteering journey, I’ve come to experience that some of the richest wisdom is found in simply sitting down and listening to people whose lives have been shaped by resilience and lived experience.
Some remember vivid details from their childhood, yet cannot remember your name moments after asking it. They repeat the same stories, the same questions, the same memories — and at first it can feel as though they are drifting somewhere beyond reach. But then, without warning, they say something that cuts through the fog: “Thank you for bringing me good luck. Please come back again.”
And in that moment, you realise something beautiful — that even when memory fades, the soul still recognises kindness. Somewhere within them remains the desire to connect, to be seen and to be loved. It is a reminder that human connection reaches deeper than memory ever could.
Then there are those who speak of air raids, running for safety in bomb shelters and other wartime drills when they were only children — stories that sound almost unreal to generations like ours or even younger. Generations who only know such scenes through history books, movies and gaming. Listening to the stories, you know you are sitting in the presence of living history, of lives that carry decades of endurance, sacrifice, resilience and wisdom.
I often leave feeling humbled by their stories — stories of orchards, long walks to school, hardship, family and survival. They echo the same stories many of our parents and grandparents once shared with us.
We live in a world that often overlooks this type of wisdom. We live in an age of instant gratification, constant noise and endless pursuit of approval, while so many people remain deeply lonely and disconnected. We celebrate youth, appearance and physical strength, yet rarely stop to sit at the feet of those who have endured wars, loss, sacrifice and time itself.
And, despite everything, I find hope in these conversations.
Hope in the way a familiar voice can still bring comfort. Hope in the way kindness can still reach someone even through confusion. Hope in the resilience of people who have survived hardship after hardship, yet still choose warmth, humour and connection.
Psalm 92:14–15 says:
“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.’”
What a beautiful reminder that ageing does not diminish a person’s value in the eyes of God. There is still fruit to bear, wisdom to share, love to give and purpose to carry — even in old age.
What society deems as weakness God sees faithfulness. Where the world sees fading, God still sees fruitfulness. And I pray we see as God does and not through our worldly lenses.
Wisdom truly is — simply listening to and absorbing wisdom and knowledge that comes with age, as well as the quiet understanding that love, kindness and human connection endure far longer than memory ever will. And that’s the beauty of God’s creation 🙏
Prayer 🙏
Lord, grant us hearts that love without boundaries,
minds filled with wisdom through the Holy Spirit,
ears that listen without judgment,
hands that serve You and others with kindness,
and feet that follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
May everything we do bring glory to You as we strive to serve You and others well.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen. 🙏
To God be the glory ❤️
Idau Hahine 