As we look forward to the rest of this century, what should characterize our outlook? Should we identify with the “doom and gloom” crowd? Should we feel paralyzed by the lawlessness that seems to confront us at every turn? Should we feel overwhelmed by the ineptitude of politicians, the ignorance of prejudiced people, the poverty of many of our fellow citizens, or the blatant disregard for God and His ways that seems to permeate our society?

I think not! While all these things (and many more) are prevalent, we have a responsibility to interpret all these factors through the filter of His promises to us. He told us, “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world”. We can choose to live in paranoia and fear or choose to become part of the solution to these problems.

The Psalmist David is a great encouragement to us. Perhaps our discouragement comes, in part, because we see the problems as so overwhelming (Goliath) and our puny contribution to the solution as terribly insignificant (David, five smooth stones, and a slingshot). We might see David’s slingshot and small rocks as just too little to make any difference. David didn’t! He was eager to engage Goliath in battle. His confidence was in God’s call, not his ability or power.

One of our dearest friends is a retired (?) missionary living in a small Texas town. She served several decades in Africa with SIM. She served many years in the bush country as a nurse at a leprosarium in Nigeria. After she reached mandatory retirement age for nurses, she came back to the States, spent a year in Bible school and returned as a teacher.

She recently ended a lengthy stint as camp nurse at a youth camp. Estella has been a true heroine to me as long as I can remember. I’ve known her since my own childhood. Over the years, her encouragement to me was a powerful force in my life.

Among her best friends, was a couple who served a pretty good distance away from her. She spent a lot of vacation time with them. Tom’s wife passed away about the time they were due to retire. Estella was single until she was in her 70’s. She married this widower, a fellow missionary soon after she returned to the States in mandatory retirement. They had three and a half beautiful years together, serving the Lord at a Christian camp.

In her last Christmas letter, Estella listed her current areas of participation in the Lord’s work in Grapeland, TX. She wasn’t bragging. She invited her friends to pray for good results in her labors. Let me share some of the things with which she’s currently involved. During the summer, she participates in weekly children’s neighborhood “M & M Happy Time” meetings; she keeps up with the many requests from campers for the Mailbox Club Bible lessons; she teaches VBS in July; she plays piano and organ some at her church; she has a Wednesday Hymn Sing and a Friday Bible class year-round at the nursing home (with the “old” people); she substitute teaches for her Sunday School class; she’s active in her church’s WMU (Women’s Missionary Union); she hosts a Nigerian booth for the annual Missions Fest and this year’s “tasting bee” of various national foods; she assists two “invalid” friends as time allows; she is active in her County Christian Coalition group. She teaches piano lessons to kids.

The list goes on, but I think you get the picture. She is clearly living in obedience to the vision God gave her many years ago. Is she bringing about world peace? Has she solved all the world’s problems I listed in the early part of this writing? Absolutely not! She is skillfully and faithfully meeting the needs of those whom the Lord brings across her path. Just in case you feel excused from fully serving the Lord because of age, health, lack of something, etc., please consider this: She was 86 years old on her last birthday.

HERE ARE SOME LIFE LESSONS
I’VE LEARNED FROM ESTELLA

• There is no substitute for total and absolute dedication to the Lord and His work.
• We best influence other folks’ lives by how we live our lives, not by the words of our mouth alone.
• The impact we have on the lives of others is magnified and compounded by the Spirit of the Lord!
• There ain’t no such thing as old age and inactive retirement to a true servant of the Lord!

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