A 112 year old Georgia woman just celebrated a massive birthday milestone and revealed her surprisingly simple secret to a long life. Instead of strict medical diets, this beloved great grandmother credits her incredible longevity to two basic things we all can practice in our daily walk.
Mabel Dunbar was born in Jamaica in 1914 and she recently celebrated her 112th birthday in Fayetteville Georgia surrounded by the people she loves. She moved to Florida back in 1994 to live with her daughter before relocating to Georgia last year to stay with her granddaughter.
When I look at photos of her wearing a sparkling birthday crown it just warms my heart completely. It is so rare to see someone that age still full of such joy and she spent her whole life serving the Lord and others. Up until very recently, she was still cooking her own breakfast every single morning which is absolutely astounding to me.
Her friends say she has a deep walk with the Lord and loves sharing stories with anyone who stops by to visit. When reflecting on her journey and her devotion to God she made some beautiful statements that really hit home for us. “God is love and I love my families” she told everyone at her party. She then added “I love all my families and strangers.”
Dunbar knows the Lord loved us first so we are called to love everyone around us unconditionally. Mabel credits her long life entirely to this unwavering faith and her tight family bonds.
As a proud mother of one, grandmother of four, and a great-grandmother, she also shared some powerful advice for younger generations about taking care of family at home. “Treat them the best you can because they are important” she said. She went on to explain “You need them when you can’t help yourself like me. These good people are on me all the time and I’m happy to see them when they come.” It is a beautiful reminder that God created us for community and we really need each other to thrive through the later seasons of life.
Eating right and keeping a healthy lifestyle are all great. But our lifespan rests completely in God’s hands and we cannot add or take away a single day on our own. As Jesus asked, who of us can add a single hour to our life by worrying about it?
For those who trust in Christ, death is not the end. It is the beginning of everlasting life with Him. So while we live on this earth, we do not need to live in fear of dying. The real question is how well prepared we are to step into His presence when that day arrives.
Do we have the confidence the Apostle Paul had? He wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NKJV), “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” That is what we must strive for above everything else. Let us focus more on leading a life that is pleasing to God and keeping our loved ones close.
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