My husband, Paul, and I attended the National Religious Broadcasters Convention (NRB) last week in Orlando. It’s a wonderful event with great sessions, keynote speakers, panelists and a large expo hall filled with interesting booths. One of the things I love most is that I always leave my time there with my spiritual batteries recharged. That’s priceless.
For me, NRB is like a big family reunion as I bump into friends and colleagues from the publishing, film, radio and television industries. It’s laughs over meals and short nights of sleep because I sit up late hanging out with dear friends.
On the afternoon of the third long day, we were so tired that we settled on a bench to rest for a while and to do a little people watching. We saw folks walk by, people whose names you’d recognize if I mentioned them.
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We noticed executives from radio networks, musicians, actors and leaders from large ministries. We watched folks dressed as Bible characters and historical figures, their colorful costumes giving us a peek into those long-ago days.
And then I noticed something that touched my heart. Heroes of the faith walked by—men and women who have been serving God for decades, some of them for 40, 50 and even 60 years. Men and women whose teaching, writing and radio and television programs have touched my life from the time I was a little girl.
The years have caught up with many of them, as evidenced by their halting footsteps as they walked the long hallways of the convention area and expo.
It hurt me to see how feeble some have become. One lady was there who’d recently buried her husband of 60+ years. Others had visible health issues. Some used a cane or a motorized scooter. But what I loved was that they were still there, and still faithfully serving God.
I want to be like them someday—a woman who has faithfully served God, who didn’t give up when the hardships of life arrived, who kept on keeping on for the tasks which God’s given me to do.
Dear Father, even when my steps are feeble and my health is failing, help me to be faithful to serve You. Help me to use every scrap of the talents You’ve given me and to fulfill every task that You’ve put on my heart. Help me to serve You for the long haul. Amen.
