“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 MSG

Young At Heart

My next door neighbor is a remarkable lady—she turned ninety-three years young last June. I feel so blessed to be included in her life. The strength she exhibits to us as friends and family is beyond our natural ability to comprehend. We call her “the Energizer bunny.”

As you can guess—yes, she is a believer in Jesus. Jesus is the one who continues to give her His strength; she takes one day at a time, and lives each day to its fullest—whether she considers it to be a good and productive day, a difficult day with much pain, or another trip to the emergency room. She is a true example of one who takes every situation in stride with God’s strength and with God’s peace.

My neighbor enjoys the outdoors and yard work is her favorite. She is not as steady on her feet as she once was, nor can see as well as she used to—therefore she encounters accidents which involve me to come alongside and assist her two nieces who live with her (who are in their seventies). At times the accident involves the paramedics—which sometimes requires a follow-up trip to the hospital.

One day, I looked out my window to see her trudging through six inches of snow that fell. She, with a walking stick, knee-high rubber boots, gloves, and all bundled up in a cozy warm jacket (ninety-one years young at that time) in need of help because one of her nieces wasn’t doing well health-wise—so I called 911. It wasn’t about her health that particular day—yet she trudged over with God’s strength in the snow. I’m still amazed as I recall that day. God is so good.

Since the pandemic began last March, she has been in and out of the hospital several times. She fell and broke her hip and had to have surgery—hip replacement—then transferred to a physical therapy facility—with no visitors allowed because of the pandemic—but came home once again with a full recovery. She now uses a cane to assist her with stability—doctor’s orders.

Her most recent encounter was a small stroke—and yes, she bounced back to health once again a couple days later.

During this pandemic, I continue to phone her or visit wearing my mask or distance myself from her to check on her or deliver her mail. She always welcomes me with a smile and a cute chuckle. I love that.

Lord, thank You for touching us through the life experiences of others. May we continue in our relationships with our neighbors, family, and friends, that You will be glorified in every encounter. We ask this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.