Another Saint, ready to go home.

I have spent much of the past two days visiting and thinking about a little old lady called Annie. At 90 years old, Annie spent many of her formative years during the great depression, and her young adult years while the world was at war. She mothered several children despite difficult circumstances, raising them in a loving and Christian environment.

I have known Annie for almost 6 years, a small part of her life, yet in those 6 years I have observed so much in her that is both desirable and admirable. Annie is a very quiet lady, sitting in her regular Church seat on the back row. She had been struggling with cancer for years, yet she never seemed to complain despite what must have been tremendous pain and discomfort.

Despite her attending The Salvation Army for many years, I was the Officer privileged to enroll her as a Soldier (member) of The Salvation Army. When I asked her if she would be interested, she said "What can you do with an 85 year old soldier?" My response was, just be you. By being Annie, she was able to touch many people. Her gentle spirit and her absolute drive and resolve never went unnoticed. I remember the day that I took Annie and fellow Soldier Mildred out to lunch. She looked at me and said, "We are so excited to have you all to ourselves." Even the Captain needs to feel special once in a while, and Annie and Mildred made me feel special that day. Then, just two days ago, as I sat by her hospital bed she looked right through me and said, "Thank you for coming, you don't know how much that means to me..." yet, as I looked into her eyes I thought, perhaps I do. Again, she made me feel special.

My guess is that Annie made a lot of people feel special. I could go on about my encounters with her and still miss many but I will not, except to mention one other thing that makes her stand out...her quiet yet determined spirit. Quite frankly, a lesser woman would have succumbed to this terrible disease before now, but her determination to keep going was truly amazing to watch. It was a selfless determination, perhaps a brute stubbornness to keep going, but it is a journey that surely is soon to end. Don't worry about Annie, her place in heaven is secure. She has been a good and faithful servant, and I will always thank God for placing Annie in my life...as the lady who made me feel special.