96 Years Later

This week I had the privilege of spending time with my 96-year-old Aunt Claudell.

When I asked questions, she answered with stories that animated her face, evoked a giggle, a full-bellied laugh, or a big smile. She was beautiful.

Wanting to preserve our family’s history, I videoed her answers. 

The stories were great, but it was her perspective that captured my heart.

Aunt Claudell told me she gave her life to Christ as a child. As she looked back on her years, she marveled at God’s faithfulness… how blessed she is.

Not that life wasn’t hard.

Not that she never cried.

Not that every prayer was answered when and how she wanted.

But that God was faithful - all the time.

If God grants me 96 years, I wondered what I would say.

Aunt Claudell reminded me that the measure of faith isn’t just in the difficult moments, but over decades of regular days spent trusting a sovereign God.

The psalmist understood:

“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken…” 

~ Psalm 37:25 ~

Aunt Claudell wasn’t just telling me stories about our family. I was hearing of God’s faithfulness for nearly a century.

Her greatest legacy isn’t just the years she’s lived. It’s that she has trusted God through all of them.

She bookended her stories by telling me of God’s faithfulness and reminding me of His faithfulness. 

Lord, may I live in such a way that when someone sits beside me at age 96, I won’t ramble about my accomplishments. Instead, may my face light up when I talk of Your magnificent faithfulness in my life.

I encourage you to spend time with someone who has walked with God longer than you have.

Ask them a simple question: “Looking back, what has God taught you?” 

Perhaps you’ll discover that their best story is about what God faithfully accomplished in them, not what they accomplished apart from Him.