Written by Jennifer Percell, Volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Missouri
Lucille made tissue paper flowers—the big, bright colorful ones that add a splash of joy to life. She made mobiles with delicate ribbon fish, dresses for orphans, and activity bags for children. She recycled hundreds of pairs of non-slip socks by brushing them carefully to remove the pilling so they could be donated to nursing homes. She was 90 and doing all of these things when I met her. She died just a month before her 106th birthday. That morning Lucille taught some ladies how to make tissue paper flowers, then she set up her first cell phone. She sat down in her chair to take a nap and woke up with Jesus.
Carolyn loved to teach the Bible to children. She was instrumental in starting a camp in her home area and cooked there for many years. When she could no longer cook, she made blankets—hundreds of cozy quilts for children who were attending camp for the first time. She told them that the comforter would remind them they were loved and would help them get through homesickness. After she died at the ripe old age of 100, we found two of her quilts in the supply room at church. They were given to her great-grandchildren, and her comforting love lives on.
Lois was the daughter of an old-time circuit preacher. She was one of a group of Christians who founded the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Texas. She raised three children in the Lord and passed her faith down to her great-grandchildren. Lois was a “Rosie the Riveter” during WWII. She met her much loved sports hero Nolan Ryan at a Texas Rangers game on her hundredth birthday and finally saw her precious Lord at 104 years old.
As I thought about the opportunity to write a story of personal committed faith, dozens, if not hundreds of faithful Christian women I have been blessed to know paraded through my thoughts. Some conquered illness, suffered loss of relationships, the death of loved ones, wavering beliefs, and weakened faith. Many sisters followed our Lord through all the darts life threw at them and gave me precious examples to follow. All of their stories are encouraging and have helped me stay the course when my steps have faltered.
But Lucille, Carolyn, and Lois all stood out in my thoughts. These three lived their faith for 85 to 90 of their over 100 years on this earth. They held on to Christ and His church through major wars, the Great Depression, riots, assassinations, hunger, times of plenty, hard physical work, deep emotional losses, disease, and the loneliness of old age. None of them complained about their circumstances—rather, each gave generously to me from their strong spirits and steady faith.
For Lois’ 100th birthday party, we decorated one section of the church auditorium walls for each decade of her life. As I walked around the display that followed our nation from covered wagons to super jets, and circuit riders to podcasts, I realized that each of those decades was lived one minute at a time. Life is made up of tens of thousands of often tedious minutes that together comprise a life of faith.
The commitment to our faith is to spend each of those moments realizing the priceless statement of our purpose we find in Ephesians: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10 NIV).
Each of these women filled over 30,000 days productively serving their families and their Savior. Somewhere along the way they understood that a Christ-filled life was their hope of glory as we read in Colossians 1:27.
Each of them spoke to me of their dependence on God. They had learned through many hard times that their hope and strength and joy was found in our God. Each of these women were joyful, gentle, and full of love despite so many trials and sorrows. My time with them was clearly filled with the presence of God's Holy Spirit, who lived a century in each of their faithful hearts.
Their personal examples of committed faith were visual aids to strengthen my life in Christ. These servants exemplified the verses I want to leave you with. Over 100 years of dedication was possible because they served a faithful Father.
“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps. 100:5).
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
Will you use your years, few or many, in committed service to the King whose faithful daughters will live with Him in glory?