Sweet Maggie Vines
A few months ago, I agreed to sing at a tiny local church. I have to admit I thought of it more as a favor than as an opportunity. A new pastor in town was hosting a speaker for a three-day “financial seminar.” I figured I would sing my songs and exit gracefully during a break in the action. God had other plans.
The teaching was so life-altering that I came back for a second night, basking in the joy and revelation of God’s Word. There were only a handful of people in the room both evenings. Thank God that He is not limited by the size of a crowd!
But I learned something more. I saw first hand what a lifelong walk with Jesus looks like. Her name is Maggie Vines. At the moment I first extended my hand to her in greeting, I noticed what can only be described as an aura about her, a glow so real it was unmistakeable. Her hand clasped about mine, so tight and warm that I felt instantly accepted. Her hair was longer than should be prudent for a woman of her age, but she wore it so gracefully that I could hardly imagine her without it. Her eyes were a warm blue, reminiscent of a summer sky. Her skin was like canyons of sweetness and sorrow, colored by a confidence belying the layers of heartache and betrayal. She wore her story (joy and pain and suffering and all the in-betweens) with unmistakeable grace. As our conversation unfolded, she gave me a little glimpse into her remarkable life.
The details of her story have since faded in my memory, as details so often do. What I am left with is the indelible impression of her presence. When I feel overwhelmed, insignificant, under-appreciated, I hear her sweet voice whisper to me,
“Take courage,dear.”
When I doubt my place in this world, I see those deep eyes reflecting a lifetime of His purpose back at me. I pray that at the twilight of my life I can have the same sort of peace and wisdom. This sentiment is reflected best by the Apostle Pauls’ words in II Tim 4:7-8 .
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Maggie Vines longs for his appearing. You can hear it her faltering voice, see it in her longing eyes. It’s an ache to be with her True Love, her First Love. It’s knowledge of a life well-lived, not for her own purposes, but for His.
Oh, for the voice, the eyes, the ache of Maggie Vines. May it also be mine.