By: Sarah Nutter
An elderly woman from my church, Dorothy Williams, died recently. I had the privilege of writing something about her that was read at her funeral. I don’t know why it’s pressing on my heart tonight, but I can’t get away from it. So instead of writing a normal devotional, I’ve decided to just let you read what I wrote about Dorothy. I learned a lot from that lady, and when I die, I hope someone will say the same kinds of things about me.
Unfortunately, tonight hasn’t helped my case any. I called my mother on her cell phone and yelled at her for a good five minutes about something insignificant, only to find out later that her friend was in the car, listening to everything I said. She even asked my mom after she hung up, “Do you guys have ‘ problems’ with Sarah?” How awful. I let her see the rotten side of me, the side people never saw of Dorothy.
Read this to evaluate how other people see you. How will your eulogy look? What will people remember? How can you change your life right now so people will be able to see Christ better through you? Challenge yourself.
My most vivid memory of Dorothy, a woman I’ve known over ten years, happened two days before her surgery a few months ago. I walked into a local beauty parlor and saw her there with her good friend, and once we exchanged “pleasantries,” I sat down in a different bench and said nothing more (yes, I’m still kicking myself for that). The wait was long, so though I impatiently wanted to be commencing with my hair cut, I found myself subconsciously listening to the ladies’ conversation. The topic blew my mind. They were discussing tracts. GOSPEL TRACTS!!! Each had stacks of them in her purse, and they were comparing them. “This one is new” one would say – “I just got it in the mail” – or “This one’s my favorite” -or “I gave one out last week just like this one.”
I couldn’t believe it. Then they started discussing Dorothy’s friend’s upcoming mission trip – apparently she’d been on several. This is when I started interacting in the conversation – I was so impressed that I had a good mind to ask each one to tell me their entire life story. I recognized Dorothy’s friend as the mother of a worker at the Christian Summer Camp I work at each year, and this information inspired the ladies to tell me about how their families had gotten to know each other through church, and how they’d been best friends for years. I was pretty jealous of that bond, I have to admit.
A few minutes later, Dorothy got out of her chair and came over to my bench. I honestly don’t know why – I think God must have wanted me to have a priceless gift that day, because that’s what I got. Dorothy, hands down the most godly woman I’ve met, opened up to me. Her eyes glistened with tears as she told me about her fears regarding the upcoming surgery, and how she was getting her hair done that day so she would look nice for the event. As I sat and listened to her tell me what the past months have been like for her, I was awed by her attitude. Her unfailing love for God. Her devotion to others. That point was clenched minutes later when she, along with her friend, started talking to other ladies in the store about Christ. They had ministered to a young mother and her children by the time my name was called.
All this to say, that trip to the salon changed my life and my perspective. I love Dorothy – I always have. I will never forget how she ministered to my life. I know I speak for everyone who knew her when I say that no one deserves heaven more than Dorothy Williams. Hers was a life well lived.
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