I just finished visiting with a wonderful, beautiful lady named Maxie. Maxie is 92 and I loved being with her. She's 92 but talks about Scripture like she's reading it and discovering it again for the first time. Maxie went to Wheaton back in THE DAY - back when Billy Graham was at Wheaton. She's got awesome stories - amazing stories about Billy coming to her and her husband's house for prayer and a picnic.
Listening to Maxie I was praying that God would find me as faithful - ploddingly faithful. Not faithful in wild fits and spurts, but faithful for 50-60 more years. Faithful if God withholds blessing, faithful if he grants it (which may be even harder).
She's aging with incredible grace, dignity, even pride. She won't be a burden to people. She won't complain. She'll continue developing her relationship with God knowing it will probably only be a short while before her faith will be sight. She's going to throw herself a big 93rd birthday party in December. She said, "Better be sure to celebrate this one, I don't think I'll have another". I think Maxie's wrong. She looks good, strong. I actually think it was wishful thinking on her part - not that she's trying to escape this life, but she's been living in light of eternity, living awaiting the prize, and she senses/hopes it will come soon.
Being with Maxie does me good. It readjusts my outlook. When I'm with her, I don't want to be a leader of a movement, a published author, a theologian on the front lines of defending orthodoxy. I want to grow old and love God more at the end than I do now in the middle.
Thank God for Maxie.
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