“Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.” (Psalm 71:18, NKJV)
A few years ago I was in seminary, and old enough to be the mother of most of the students. During one class, a young man was curious about my motivation and asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
I still chuckle at the double entendre of his question, but my answer it has to be this verse from Psalm 71. My goal in life is to learn all I can about God and then pass on what I’ve learned.
The first person in my life who lived out this goal was Irene. She invited me to a Bible study in her home and taught me about God. At a time when I was worried what God might demand of me, Irene showed me His answer. Her husband of over fifty years had just died. At the grave side she leaned forward, almost as if she wanted to jump in with him. My heart ached for her. But then she turned around to face us, and her face was radiant with that unexplainable joy of the Lord. God gave her such peace during this loss that she became a comfort to those around us. She said, “I miss him, but realized most of my sorrow is just me feeling sorry for myself.”
Another example was my mother. She had Alzheimers but the Lord remained strong in her life. In the latter years, dad died and she had to move to various care facilities. Her attitude remained positive and gracious. One time a nurse was apologizing to her for the inadequate room she would be in until her other room was ready. My mom smiled and said, “It’s okay. I’ve been through a lot. I can handle this too.”
A third was Agnes. She was a sweet person, always positive, always praying for others. In her last years, she was struck down with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Nothing changed. Her personality remained positive, prayerful, strong in faith. Some people show me how to live; this remarkable woman showed me how to die.
I used to say my aim in life was “to become a sweet little old lady” and while I’d still like that, I’d like to be remembered as these women—a person who not only tells others but shows them what the power of God is like in a heart that is fully yielded to Him.
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