Shine Like Stars
by Barbara Chadwick

I finished my crossword puzzle book. The clue to the last word was, "a shining orb in the sky." I filled in the little boxes with my word "star" and, as always, felt a little disappointed to get to the last page.

Flipping back through it I saw that most pages were neatly filled in. However, a few pages were really messy. These were done with my left hand. Since I'm right-handed these pages look like a child just beginning to write - shaky large letters, no symmetry - messy.

That got me to thinking. What if someone picked up the book to look through it? This probably won't happen but just for the sake of exploring the thought: They might think this person was deranged that day. To continue the thought: What will people observe about the pages of our lives? Philippians 2:15 tells us to live in such a way that our lives will "shine like stars."

We went to the Pioneer Home tonight. Alma Penrose is going through the last pages of her life. The family has been told it won't be long. As we visited, each family member shared memories of her life. They told us of how she played the accordian and sang at the Rescue Mission, how she was always providing meals for people - her hospitality was exceptional, how she was faithful to the church and how she loved people. One told of being in the airport with her and when a woman told her she was afraid of flying, Alma said that she wasn't afraid at all because the Lord, whom she loved, would take her to heaven if the plane crashed and that was a far better place anyway.

The stories contined and we saw that the life of this 101 year old woman did indeed "shine like stars!"

As I hugged Martha Penrose and said goodbye I said, 'You've been such a blessing to my life." Martha has continued the life of service and love that her mother-in-law modeled for her all these years.

Perhaps there were days when the pages of Alma's or Martha's lives were rather left-handedly put together but those are not the pages people remember. People remember how God has used them both to minister and fill in the pages of other lives with love and grace. May it be so with all of us.

Alma is not disappointed to get to her last page. She is joyfully, expectantly waiting to see Jesus.