I think that pastoral care can be perfectly done through spending time with others intentionally. As someone who does not speak a lot, I love to engage using quality time. This can look different in many situations. The ones I would be most eager to explore would be meals or coffee with those in need of this type of care. I believe pastoral care can be done without the outward discussion of Jesus. Actions speak louder than words. This is particularly important to note when talking about those who do not use spoken language as their main way of communicating. This way of thinking is nuanced and not common.
Having several friends who do not communicate with words, I know that just being present is powerful. Love does not always need words. Some things are greater than words.
Most challenging thing to put into practice in my life
I think the most challenging thing to put into practice in my life will be differentiating or separating my own life from those I am serving. Usually when I am in a helping role it is with close friends and family. This means that I have less strong boundaries. I think I will take things personally if problems arise, especially between loved ones. I am not sure if it is the best idea for me to serve those who are in my family for this reason. In terms of differentiating, I don’t think I have had much practice. Learning about keeping the different parts of people and situations separate has been interesting to me.
One change about the way I engage people
The thing that I want to change to become better at delivering pastoral care is to initiate with them. Being autistic I will often let others initiate with me. How will I do this if I cannot speak? I will basically try to become better at carefully providing my communication partners with guidelines for me.
Scriptures relating to pastoral care
Some scriptures I have thought about this week are about shepherding. The first is in 1 Peter 5:1-4 which talks about humility for those who care for others. The exhortation is to be an example of Christ. Another favorite passage is from John 10 describing Jesus as the good shepherd. He is the one who lays down his life for his sheep. He also guides them in the way they should go. These scriptures remind me that amazingly I need Jesus to be my shepherd before I can shepherd others