IMITATE THEIR FAITH

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Life gets busy. I rush from one must-do to the next and think if I’m not multitasking, I’m slacking. Not a good way to live – and not a good way to hear God speaking or speak His words to others.

How thankful I am that God brought Ruth and Rose into my life. These two women did not know one another, but each glowed with a common light that never failed to slow me down and lift my spirits. Ruth was the mother of a longtime friend and Rose the mother of my next-door neighbor. Both Ruth and Rose lived with their daughters and were in their nineties when I came to know and spend some time with them.

Every time I got off my treadmill and popped in for a visit with either Ruth or Rose, I was blessed. In our talks over tea, I’d hear stories of their own busy raising-kids-making-a home-working days. Their lives – Ruth’s in Chattanooga as a seamstress and single mother and Rose’s in Pittsburgh as full-time mom and homemaker – were real and their memories rich. Just listening and laughing and learning how they managed gave me a welcome place to stop in my own tracks and get a fresh perspective.

Most of all, Ruth and Rose “spoke the word of God” – not by quoting chapter and verse, but by their welcoming smiles and thankful, contented spirits. Although these women knew the loss of husbands and the challenge of serious health problems, they also knew Jesus as a friend – and shared his presence and peace in their lives with me.

As it happened, I had a good visit with Ruth and with Rose two days before each died, within five months of each other this past year. Their smiles were radiant, their hugs warm, and their faith unwavering.

I can no longer pop in for a “time-out talk” and tea. But I do remember these dear women, and, “considering the result of their conduct,” want to imitate their sure faith in a loving and providing God.

— Barbara Appling

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist