May 24, 2025 Devo

A few years ago, I visited with a really sweet lady who was in rehab. She was up in years and had fallen. I wasn’t sure what kind of condition she would be in, or whether or not she would even want visitors. But when I walked into the room, she looked up from her bed and lit up like a light bulb. She stretched out her arms and said, “You are a gift from God to me!” I laughed and hugged her.
As we visited, she was a constant stream of encouragement. She told me how much she loved me. She told me how much she enjoyed my devotionals. She told me I looked ten years younger than the last time she’d seen me. (That’s when I wondered if the fall had affected her eyes!) When they came to take her to physical therapy, I asked if I could pray with her before I left. She told me she’d love that. I prayed for God’s healing and a swift recovery and thanked Him for the precious time we got to share. I gave her another hug and told her to stay out of trouble. As I walked out the door, I heard her say to the nurse, “I love that man!” I blushed. Tears filled my eyes. I had come to see her that I might lift her spirits. But I was the one walking on air when I left.
I thought of her when I read our verse today. “He will be our guide even to the end.” Here was a woman who was nearing the end of her life. Her fall had left her in all kinds of pain, and it would’ve been perfectly understandable if she were cranky and not such enjoyable company. In fact, she confessed to me while I was there that she had been having a bit of a pity party that morning. But she said God didn’t let her stay there. There was too much to be grateful for.
I kept thinking about how I really want to be like that. As they get older, some people lose their sweetness, sense of humor, and positive outlook. Others, like perennial flowers, just seem to keep blossoming. It was so obvious to me that God was still leading her, still speaking to her, and still working through her. The One who has been with her all these years is STILL with her. He’s still changing her. He’s still blessing her. He is still blessing others through her! That’s how I want to be. I want my God to keep touching me, teaching me, and changing me. I want His Presence to fill my life on my good days AND on my hard days. I don’t know how long God will let me have on this earth, but I want Him to shine through me as He shone through her. Let’s make that our prayer today. “Be our guide, Lord. All the way to the end! Amen.” That’s God’s Word for you today.