Reaching 100

May 18 cannot slip by without my acknowledgement of my mother’s 100th birthday. What a privilege it is to have a 100-year-old mom who is still sharp in mind and physically well! She has been given good looks so that no one would know she is 100. However, she loves to share her age with others since reaching such a landmark! In Scripture, the number 100 represents a full measure, and that she has received.
 
Mom's life was not easy. She lost her dad at age seven, which required her mother to go to work. My grandmother, mom and uncle lived frugally and from the generosity of others. But God graced her and my uncle with higher-than-average intelligence, and they prospered. The hardships Mom endured in growing up gave her resilience, persistence, and spunk that continues today. One of my favorite stories about Mom is when she came into her eighties. She determined to take her income tax to a professional accountant to be checked after years of figuring it by herself. The gentleman was so impressed that he offered her a job.
 
As a widow, my grandmother had to trust in God for every need. She always sang the Lord's praises and knew His compassion for the widow and fatherless. "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling." (Psalm 68:5) When I think about my grandmother's walk with the Lord, Psalm 84:11-12 comes to mind:  "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you."
 
I can trace the godly heritage of my family back several generations, and do not take this blessing lightly. As it says in Psalm 25:12-13 (TPT), "Who are they that live in the holy fear of God? You will show them the right path to take. Then prosperity and favor will be their portion, and their descendants will inherit all that is good." 
 
The largest benefit of coming from a God-fearing family is that I have a mom who prays for me and my family and friends. When my girls have a need, frequently they will make me aware of it, and then I will say, "We better call Grandmom." We know that my mom will storm the gates of heaven until her prayers for her family are answered.
 
Today I stand in gratitude for the inheritance I have received through my mom. I aspire to emulate her prayer life and thank God for the wonderful gift He gave me in my mother.