I Want to be Holy...

“I want to be holy…to live totally for God. Do you think it’s too late for me?” Tracy and I (Mary) were cleaning out paint brushes behind one of our houses when she asked this question. Tracy and her teenage daughter have come over as often as possible to help us with house renovations. Tracy said, “When I’m with you all, I can think clearly.” My heart was moved by her humility and desire to “live totally for God.” I collected myself and replied, “No, it is not too late. That’s what we want too, to live totally for God. We’re all in it together.” Tracy continued, “I need to learn to talk right…Like you all. You don’t talk bad about other people. Do you have classes on that or something?” I told her that we could teach her about “right speech” and we arranged to do that the following week. She said, “You all saved me. You know that? When I first met you, you kept coming back and knocking on my door. You kept away the drug dealers.” Tracy and her daughter came back the next week. We talked about “right speech” and living for God. We talked about protecting others’ reputations and privacy in how we speak. She started laughing and laughing and said, “Well, that eliminates a lot of what I talk about!” There are many obstacles for Tracy as she strives to live for God. We continue to work with her through these. May Tracy continue to find her strength in the joy of the Lord!

Ellen Reed and Mary Timler in Evansville, IN.