An Afternoon Life Lesson

Trish was in our After the Boxes Are Unpacked study many years ago, after she moved here from California to retire. We would see each other at church for a few years after that, then our paths didn’t cross again. As the years slipped by, Trish faithfully stayed in touch with our ministry and became a personal encourager to me through her lovely hand-written notes.

When I received a particularly endearing note not long ago, God prompted me to go and see Trish for a visit that was long over-due. I called to thank her and set a time to get together along with our good friend, Joan. During the 20-minute drive to her assisted living community, I was thinking of all the different things I could say to entertain her and keep the conversation going. “After all,” I thought,”someone who is ninety-four years old will need me to initiate conversation, be encouraging, and inspiring.”

Trish was waiting for us in the lobby, dressed up in a stylish velour warm-up suit, with a necklace that added a little glitz to her jacket. She probably weighed all of 90 pounds, and was about 5’1″ in height with her shoulders slightly bent over. She took Joan and me on a walking tour of the facilities.

First we went to the community center to see the 1,000 piece puzzle she was putting together. It was spread out meticulously on a table. Then we went to the dining room, where she knew everyone there by name, and proceeded to introduce us to her friends.

It was enchanting to step out of the busyness of my world and enter into the simplicity of her world. I could see how pleased and proud she was of this place that she called home. I could feel her excitement for our presence.

We then walked around two huge apartment buildings, took an elevator to the second floor, walked down a corridor, turned the corner, and finally arrived at Trish’s apartment. Her pace was brisk and steady. By this time, I was ready to sit down and catch my breath.

As we walked in, Trish said, “Let me take you on a tour.” She showed us her very small living room right inside the front door. It had one well-loved recliner, a small end table with a lamp, and a small painted bookshelf – all within arm’s reach of her recliner. A shelf by the window held her sewing machine.

From the living room, we walked in the very small bedroom with a single bed and one dresser. A colorful print sheet served as her bedspread. There were no halls to get from room to room, so the bathroom was conveniently adjacent to the bedroom. We walked back through the living room to a very small eat-in kitchen, with a round table and two chairs. You could tell we were expected. The two kitchen chairs were already positioned in the living room, across from the recliner.

As Trish nestled in her recliner, Joan and I sat in the two chairs, like an audience to the Queen. And indeed we were. We listened to Trish as she told us about her life.  We were spellbound for over two hours, captivated by amazing stories of her life in the early 1900’s, the history of her family for four generations, her short, romantic marriage, and her love for Jesus.  After all, it’s not every day I get to sit at the feet of a ninety-four-year-old who recounts the details of a fascinating life like they happened yesterday.

When Trish stopped to open a little gift we had brought her, my eyes glanced around the room once again. Then, I asked the ultimate question. “Where’s your TV, Trish?”

She looked at us and said with conviction, “I got rid of my TV. I was spending too much time watching it, and it was a distraction from my time with Jesus. I spend my time reading my Bible, praying for other people that live here, writing notes to encourage them, and, I’m also in a Bible study. I don’t know how much time I have left before I go to heaven and I want to be real close to Jesus when that day comes.”

Oh. my. goodness. She was truly prepared and ready to meet her Lord and Savior.

Our conversation about Jesus went on for a while. There was no doubt how much she loved Him and how close she was to Him. It was obvious she was at peace anytime Jesus called her to her eternal home.

Trish walked us to the car and hugged us goodbye. We promised we’d come back to see her. We wanted more – more of her stories and more of Jesus.

We faced the four o’clock, bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway, but it didn’t seem to matter. Her words echoed in my mind the whole way home, “…a distraction from my time with Jesus…”  They have lingered with me since that visit. I need to be intentional about my own distractions from Jesus.

There were many take-aways and life lessons from our visit with Trish that I will lean into and learn from. For many of us, they are a gentle reminder of what we already know, but need to hear again.

*       Take time to listen to the stories of someone who is from an older generation. The chapters of their life are like reading a history book and a novel all at once.

*       There is much to learn from someone who has traveled the road of life before us.

*       Ask questions, the answers are often humorous, insightful, and may give you another perspective on things.

*       You receive more than you could ever give, though you may think your visit is for them…

*       Life is precious. Make every day count.

*       Time is your greatest gift to someone.

*       Don’t put off the overdue visit.

*       Too much stuff, too busy, and too much TV can be a distraction from Jesus.

*       Less is more.

*       Jesus is all you need.

From My Heart to Yours,