52

Janet - age 3

When I was a young twenty-one year-old I worked as a home health aid, visiting the homes of people who hired the services of a health care worker two or three times a week.  For some patients, I cooked; for others, I took them for walks or a grocery run.  I loved the job, especially the fact that I got to meet some really interesting people. 

During this time, I worked for a couple who owned a massive almond ranch, surrounded by a row of tall olive trees.  The husband had just survived a massive stroke, and he was becoming ambulatory again with the help of supervised walks through his orchards.  He was eighty-five or so, only months before driving his tractor through his fields.  It was through the fields we took our walks; he taught me a lot about the life of a farmer.  The olive trees, ripe with fruit, were never harvested.  He told me once that they were planted purposefully to keep the birds away from the almond trees. 

One afternoon, he let me gather the olives I could reach (the birds didn’t touch the low-lying olives) and take them home.  I went home with a large paper grocery bag filled to the brim of the largest olives I’ve ever seen. 

Later, I explained to my Auntie Emmy (who cured the olives) that the man probably didn’t want them because he was so old.  Way Old.  Very, very old.

He doesn’t seem so old now.

Today I’m 52. 

Eighty five used to be ancient, now it’s not so old.  At twenty-one I thought I had matured into a very balanced young woman but it was not truth – I was sad.  My life (despite having a good family base and friends) seemed purposeless. 

 Two years later I had my first child, which gave me identity and love, but I was terrified that I wouldn’t lead him anywhere worth following.  A year later I met Mario, the (gorgeous) man who would change my life; only six months after meeting him, we started going to church together.  There, I was given a deep and life-changing understanding of God.  It can’t be explained in a sentence or a paragraph, but I can say that I am thankful that God revealed His plan for me.  He’s been faithful to guide me on the multi-faceted luge race that has been my life.

Today I examine the Psalm that corresponds with my year – Psalm 52.  I give you the last two verses of it, a gift-wrapped blessing from the birthday girl to reader.  I thank you for visiting Brazen Princess – my sanctuary of words.  

I thank God that He has made me an olive tree, and I thank Him for my life.

But I am like an olive tree

    flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God’s unfailing love

    for ever and ever.

 For what you have done I will always praise you

    in the presence of your faithful people.

And I will hope in your name,

    for your name is good. 

Psalm 52: 8,9

Janet - Age 52