I was asked to speak at a ladies group last week by a fantastic older lady (maybe just in her eightys). Mary had been running the group for about 40 years. It started because after she had been running a crusaders group on the local estate, she wanted to reach out to the parents of the girls she was working with. Forty years later I turned up at her flat (having moved several years ago) and the ladies (70-80yrs old now) from the estate were bussed in, with some of the orginal members of the crusaders group (in their 50’s) and some of Marys new neighbours to hear about FYT.
Several times I have come across a few older ladies like Mary, whose faithfullness is humbling, and whose passion is as real as it always was. When we speak glibly about servanthood, long term work, incarnation and relationships, we need to remember the Marys of the world. I am SURE I met a saint last week.
Hey Rich, you’re a saint aren’t you? I’d be worried if you weren’t!
It is utterly inspiring to meet people like that. The friend who became my best man was one such person.