February 3, 2018
First published on September 30 th 2010
Longpoint Baptist Church,
Anawalt WV
A True Story from A
"Dear" Saint of God!
As
Tom and I drove up to the church, which sits high above a creek facing the
front door, my eye was immediately drawn to a dear saint of God who had made a
point of coming to the revival every night. She is escorted by her son,
who helps her up a great flight of stairs. She struggles as her age is
great and her infirmities are many. I was impressed by the fact that she
still used the stairs even though the Church had installed an elevator because
their congregation was mostly aged and many of the people could not climb the
stairs to enter this sweet old church, their home. Yet she wanted to
enter using the stairs. My curiosity was spurred. She had shared
with me that she didn’t want to “give up” and use the elevator; what an
inspiration to us all. I had spent some time visiting with her at the
first part of the week, but meeting so many people I couldn’t remember her
name.
As
I walked through the doors I could see her being seated where she had sat each
night of the meeting. There she was fourth row up from the back on the
left, at the end of the pew. As I approached her to shake her hand, she
held out her arms for a hug. She greeted me like I was her daughter,
instead of the Evangelist Preachers wife. As we hugged, she whispered
sweetly in my ear that she had been praying for me and that she would continue
to pray for me as we finished out the meeting and went our way. She drew
back and as I looked into her faded eyes, I saw her smile, love, and sincerity
in her eyes. Instantly I wondered, would I look like that when I turned
80 years old? Sweet, loving, kind and caring? It was just a flash thought
for she continued our conversation asking how my doctors’ visit had gone.
I shared with her what I could in the short time we had, letting her know we
were still waiting on some tests results. I was impressed that she
remembered, and said so. She let me know that when God puts someone on
your mind and heart, it is hard to forget! She told me she had gone for
some blood work herself, that day, and would be going back to the doctor on
Monday, and asked me to pray for her. She didn’t seem overly concerned.
The
entire time we were talking, she never stopped smiling. How beautiful her
smile and her face was, although drawn with many lines. How impressed I was
with that. She told me I had
such a beautiful smile and she asked me if I had any children. Her
precious wrinkled face, worn with the cares of her world and her poor health,
showed such peace and love and interest. I could see she was comfortable
in herself and her relationship with the Lord was very obvious each time she
spoke. A love and devotion to the Lord who had provided for her and took
care of her every need, yes, she was happy. I told her about our daughters and
grandchildren and as I spoke my eyes began to tear. I miss my family, I
told her, but am so blessed to be used of God in my husband’s ministry.
She smiled at me sweetly and said she understood how I felt and then asked if
she could tell me a story.
She
shared that she was a diabetic and had been one for nearly 48 years from the
onset having to take insulin shots. As her story unfolded, I wondered,
how people can take it. Forty-eight years she battled this disease.
She didn’t complain, I was complaining for her. She said that when the
doctor gave her the diagnosis, she went home to her husband and five beautiful
children believing her life was ending. She handed her car keys and
drivers license to her husband and told him the “sad” news. She was giving up. She said that her dear,
precious, husband looked her in the eye and said, “Look around you, what do you
see?” She said she did that, seeing her children gathered around her in
fear and her husband with a determined look on his face.
“You
are not leaving us! So get yourself together and we will fight this battle
together.” Today, her children are grown, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren now gather around this dear saint on special
occasions. She is blessed! Her husband of 61 years, who recently
went home to be with the Lord, had stood by her side and took care of his
precious wife through thick and thin. She told me tonight that she didn’t
know it at the time, but later realized he knew his time was
short. I asked her if she lived alone and she said that some people think
so, but in every turn of her home she sees the loving hand and care her husband
left her. A legacy she called it, something that she is thankful for
everyday. She told me that we all make footprints in life, leaving behind
something for every person we come in contact with. The most important of
course is our own loved ones. She told me that although she and her
husband had raised their children to serve the Lord, they weren’t all being
obedient to the Father. It broke their heart, but they had turned them
over to the Lord and trusted Him to deal with whatever was going on in their
lives and the lives of their children and husbands and wives. She told me
I may have to be parted from my loved ones for a time but God had a way of
making sure all would be all right. Now my tears began to drop from my
eyes and she took my hand. All she said was, “Linda, God will make it all
right, don’t worry.” She doesn’t know me from anyone, yet I felt as if I
had known her all my life. She was the encouragement I needed at that
moment. She gave me the hug and sweet kiss that I had hungered for and didn’t
have and needed from a fellow mother and wife. I thank God for people who
are obedient to the Lord and the Holy Spirits nudging to be an encouragement to
others.
She
continued her story, wanting me to know what a blessing her dear husband
was to her. She recalled there were many times when she could not raise
herself out of a chair, or make her way down the hall or out of the bathroom
without assistance, and yes walk up the flight of stairs in front of their
church. He was there for just a hand to lean on or an arm to pull herself
up on. Her husband was always there. She spoke of how she took it
for granted that he would be there, as she would reach her hand out, his was
always there to take hers and help her in any way needed. Now he was
gone.
After
the funeral services and all the family had left, she was alone in that house
her sweet husband had built and provided for her. She sat in her favorite
chair recalling the time God had given them together thanking Him for the life
she had lived with him. The longer she sat, she knew, would be more agony
to rise, and her husband’s sweet hand was gone from her forever. She
began to ease out on the front of the chair and realized that a different table
had been put near. It had a rung on it that just fit her hand. The
table was braced against the wall and she realized it would hold her
weight. She pulled herself up and was able to begin her journey down the
long hall to the bathroom. As she walked down the hall, she gripped a
handrail that her husband had put there a year or so prior to that time.
She had never used it, for she had his sweet hand to guide and support
her. She made her way to the bathroom, making herself ready for
bed. Again two rails in that room were of the utmost help to her, making
her realize they had been there for a while but she had never needed them for
her husband had always been there.
The
story continued through the bedroom, the kitchen and in other various places
throughout the house. She realized he was still with her in more ways
than just being in her heart and mind. He had provided for her in so many
ways even after his homegoing. His hand which had carved the railings and
the table and all those things in the house was still the hand she reached
for. Then, she compared her entire story to Jesus. He was always
there but until she took Him for her personal Savior, until she reached out for
His already outstretched hand, He couldn’t help her and all of His provisions
were not made known. Once she placed her hand, heart, and life in His,
who saved her from a devil's hell, she could now say that through her entire
life, Christ had provided for her and still was.
It
was time for church, and as she squeezed my hand of which she had held between
hers during this entire time, she told me she loved me. My husband tells
me that every day, shows me in so many ways it would take a book to tell you
how blessed I am; but she a stranger said those words and I knew they were
meant from the heart. I will see her at the meeting tonight, I will share
this that I have written, for she was a tremendous need and blessing when I
needed it the most.
Then
Toms message. “His Grace Is Sufficient” – I was stirred and blessed by
the Word of God, reminded that no matter the need, God will provide “sufficient
grace”.
God
is good all the time, and everywhere!
Tom & Linda Milam
Missionaries
to America
2
Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My
grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
February 5, 2018
