This week I was honored to speak at a memorial service for a faithful member of our church who passed at the age of 99 years old named Alice. Alice was saved at age 14 and from that point forward, she always looked for ways to honor the Lord and serve Him in  some form or capacity. She served as a teacher, a missionary, and helped with many things over the years. A few years ago, while Alice was still able to attend church, she made coffee and folded bulletins for the service. Alice liked her coffee strong. Her recipe involved at least 6 – 8 scoops of coffee. People did not fall asleep during my sermons when Alice made the coffee!

I got to church extra early one Sunday and since I was early, I went ahead and folded the bulletins. When Alice arrived, she was genuinely disappointed that the bulletins were already folded. I told her, “It’s okay, I did them for you.” Alice then firmly but gracefully told me, “Pastor, I cannot do everything I used to do. I cannot see well enough to read the lesson so, I can’t teach, and I feel too weak to sing. But I can still pray, make coffee, and fold bulletins. Please do not hinder me in my service. When you do, you rob me of a blessing.” Oh, what a wonderful lady, what a wonderful perspective! All of us have the capacity to serve in God’s kingdom and glorify Him in some way. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10

1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

All of us have the capacity to serve. And we need to recognize that sometimes, our capacity to serve changes with time. But just because we cannot do what we used to do, does not mean that we cannot do anything. Find out what you can do and get busy. Make some strong coffee! Fold some bulletins! And whatever you do, do it for the glory of God! Honor the Lord, serve Him to best of your ability, whatever that ability is, and do not let anybody rob you of that blessing. I grateful for the lesson of loving service  I learned from Alice over the years. May the Lord strengthen and comfort her family. And may we all learn from her example.