I got a phone call the other night ………
It was late, I was tired and really didn’t feel like talking to anyone – it was one of those nights. When I saw who it was I smiled and suddenly I was not quite as tired and the world became a little brighter. I answered it and I heard “Hi Honey! How ya doing?” It was my sweet Dorie, my adopted mother/mentor/friend.
God brought Dorie into my life many years ago but it wasn’t until we became neighbors that we developed a special relationship. It wasn’t unusual for the phone to ring and for me to hear “Hi honey, do you have any coffee?” David would go pick her up, usually in her pajamas, and bring her to the house. We would chat over coffee about family, current events, life and ministry.
I loved hearing the stories about her and Lloyd on the mission field. David had studied Lloyd in seminary and had been fascinated by his approach to missions – which was cutting edge and not accepted by many. We loved to hear about the Dani’s almost as much as Dorie loved to talk about them: their culture, their response to Lloyd and Dorie, their battles with their enemies etc. They reached an unreached people group who were stoneage cannibals in the days of short wave radios; no SKYPE, no email, no Facebook, no cell phones. They were flown in and dropped off. Sometimes supplies were dropped in by plane. Dorie and Lloyd were certainly heroes of the faith.
There was one thing we would never talk about, her age. I remember taking her to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. When the lady behind the counter asked her date of birth, Dorie sent me to the front of the store so I wouldn’t hear her give it to the pharmacist. A few times I would try to catch her off guard and ask her how old she was. Her response was always the same, “You monkey!” Once she was telling the story of how she and her sweetie Lloyd met, married and went to the mission field. I thought I was being smooth and asked for clarification of a few dates – but she wasn’t fooled. Not only was she not fooled, she elbowed me!
On this particular night our conversation was one I’ll cherish forever, for reasons I can’t share here. She started with her usual “Hi, honey. How ya doing?” but then she went on to talk about the thing we never talked about, that taboo subject, her age. Without spilling the beans about her actual age she did admit for the first time ever that she was getting up there in years.
It was at that point the conversation took an interesting twist. She said “Honey, we need to remember that when people get older that they are still valuable and have worth and we should treat them accordingly. At the same time we who are older should encourage those younger and share the wisdom we have gained about life and the things of the Lord. We need to keep reminding them how valuable they are and how important they are to the kingdom.
In the moments that followed she spoke into my life wisdom, understanding and encouragement. “Honey, stand firm on the truths you have seen in the Word. God has called you into ministry and He has gifted you and His hand is on you. Don’t try to please man, honey. God is the only one you need to please and He loves you. Don’t ever forget that! You are loved, you are valuable, you are important to God. I love you and David and pray for you every day”. There were other things she shared on a deeply personal level – things that only Dorie and I need to know.
I love when the phone rings and Dorie is on the other end because I know she loves me, understands what I am going through, has words of wisdom to share with me and will encourage me. She is a valuable part of my life and the life of others and has made an impact for the kingdom. She is an amazing example of the Titus 2 woman. She admits she doesn’t move as fast as she once did, and tires more quickly than before but she is still serving God and encouraging the younger women. She is still making an impact for the kingdom and is a living reminder that I need to do the same to those behind me. Knowing she prays for me daily is an amazing comfort and the sweetest gift anyone could give to another.
The next day she celebrated her birthday. Even though we talked about the forbidden topic, we didn’t talk specifics. However, I have reason to believe “It was a big one”!
