Page 52 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2023 - Online Magazine
P. 52
Exceptional
SENIORS
Grandmother
to Forgotten Children
Elizabeth Matthews
By Bear Mills (of The Bear Mills Podcast)
lizabeth Matthews has
searched, but the word
E“retirement” is nowhere in
the Bible. As she approached her society had thrown on life’s refuse As it turns out, God’s purpose for
sunset years—years when many of heap. She is also called to prepare Elizabeth was to travel to Uganda,
her contemporaries were slowing the next generation to become world one of the most difficult places on
down—Elizabeth found that God changers for the cause of Christ. earth, to love children others had
had a special mission for her on written off. Her desire to share
the other side of the world. “I don’t “I devoted my years in the work God’s love extended beyond her
believe we’re ever retired from force to raising two incredible own grandchildren, whom she gets
Kingdom work,” she said. children as a single mom,” Elizabeth to see for two months each year.
said. “Early on (in my Christian It now includes Ugandan children
So, instead of retiring, she found life), I believed I was sowing into like Hope, a little girl abandoned
herself moving from Lubbock to mission projects because one of my in an orphanage. It was also to
the African nation of Uganda. Her children would one day become a love Basham, a little boy whose
assignment: to love children whom missionary.” immense health challenges might
To her great surprise, in 2012, fill a medical journal. These and
God spoke to Elizabeth’s heart at hundreds of others are children
a mission’s conference. “He told forgotten by the world but not by
me, ‘It’s not one of your children God. He called Elizabeth as His
who will be a missionary. It’s you! ambassador of love to the least, the
And it’s your time.’ Immediately, I lowest, and the loneliest of these
understood all those years of giving little ones.
to missions were preparation for my “He called me to be a grandma (jjaja)
call to the mission field.” to many people in Uganda. I am
While it was exciting to know she blessed everywhere I go with new
had a special calling, it was also sons, daughters, and grandchildren.
quite aggravating. Elizabeth thought “Although work on the mission field
her retirement years would be spent is very hard and exhausting, I see
with children and grandchildren in the eternal purpose. It gives my life
West Texas. “I ‘discussed’ this with more meaning.” Elizabeth said, “We
the Lord,” she said. “I had great take none of our works to heaven
displeasure at the thought of leaving with us, but we take souls, and the
grandchildren. But God helped me Lord takes note of every kindness
separate from my vision for my toward others, especially those He
calls ‘the least of these.’”
Elizabeth with her Texas grandchildren future so I could see His vision.”
52 Lubbock Senior Link
