Ms. Nellie

I’m an early riser. I have my coffee and work on crossword puzzles and other computer games to get my mind working. Some days that takes a long time. Then, I turn the lights off in my study, stare into the darkness, and talk to God. Doing it this way keeps my attention deficit down.

For some reason, this morning, my mind turned to Ms. Nellie Shoemaker. Unfortunately, I didn’t really know her. This past summer, I saw her in Walmart. Because of my speech, I don’t often speak to folks who don’t really know me. On this occasion, I got up the courage to say hello. I could not remember her name, so I told her we go to church together. I had to tell her twice because she was guarded. It dawned on her who I was.  She smiled really big, “You’re that man that sends me that letter every month.” I said, “Yes, mam”. After all, she was only a few years younger than my Mom would have been. She told me that she kept the letters with her Bible to reread. We chatted for a few more minutes about her lifestyle, and she moved on to her car to drive home. It's incredible that at 90+ years old, she was capable of so much memory and freedom.

Most of us complicate life well beyond what we need to. Ms. Nellie’s life seemed so uncomplicated. She had a deep and abiding love for God. She knew He was in charge and was very comfortable with that fact. For just a brief encounter, she made such an impression on me. It’s easy to picture her in the arms of Jesus.

Thanks, Ms. Nellie, for sharing your Godly thoughts with me! Hopefully, I will pass your spirit on!

Mike