Don’t believe it when someone tells you that you are too old for God to use you. Even more, don’t believe it when you tell yourself that. Our availability is more important than our ability. If God calls you to a task, He will equip you for it. I pray each morning, “God use me today in your Kingdom.” He does. Sometimes it is just an encouraging word or a phone call. Other times, it seems it might stretch my ability.

I recently went on a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Before signing up, I asked our leader, Dr. Evan Johnson, “Would there be anything for me to do on the trip? I’m not a nurse or pharmacist.” “Oh yes,” he replied and began listing the many options. “I don’t want to go and be a hindrance or dead weight.” He assured me I was fit to make the trip and that I would be used.

Not many days afterward, he called to tell me he already had a job for me. He told me about The Lily House near the SCORE international facility where we would be staying. It is a refuge for former prostitutes and for girls who would be put out of orphanages and government facilities at age sixteen. The only way they could earn a living would be in prostitution if it weren’t for the Lily House rescuing them and teaching them a trade. He wanted me to do an article for The Alabama Baptist. I didn’t tell him the steps required to get an article accepted. I just accepted the assignment. After calling my editor, she said they would love to have the article with pictures.

That assignment just took one day of our trip. When he started taking volunteers for other assignments, I raised my hand when he named evangelism. I feel I could just die and go on to Heaven today after the way God used me and our team. We saw over 600 patients that week, and each one came through our evangelism station. Over 50 prayed to accept Christ; it was my privilege to lead more than 30 of those. I don’t say that pridefully because it was the Holy Spirit working through me. That just might have been to show others there is no age limit for being used by God. The people listened intently as I presented the gospel to them one-on-one most of the time. They were very honest. If I asked if they had the peace of Jesus in their hearts, if they did, the smile and countenance on their faces answered the question before they could word it. They would pat their heart and say, “I’m a Christian.” Some would pray with me to accept, but some would answer later. I even presented the gospel to two men who said they had the duty of leading their families in witchcraft before they could become Christian. I told them that witchcraft is of the devil.  I don’t think they cast a spell on me. If they did, my armor -the Holy Spirit- blocked it.

At eighty-two years old, God’s not through with me yet. I pray he will keep on keeping on as long as He gives me breath. Nothing satisfies a Christian like sharing the peace, joy, and love of Jesus.