A 108-year-old Raleigh woman recently put on a sparkling tiara to dance at her incredible birthday celebration and proved to four generations of her family that faith is the true secret to a joyful longevity.
I just watched the most heartwarming news segment about Marjorie Arnold and my eyes filled with happy tears seeing her beautiful smile.
This North Carolina centenarian was born in Tarboro back in 1918 and she has survived a century of hardships by keeping her eyes firmly on Jesus. It amazes me how someone who lost her own mother at age 14 could build such a lasting legacy of love.
She stepped right up to raise her younger siblings and even made their clothes by hand while working exhausting days on a farm. Hearing her daughters talk about her selfless life really touched my soul.
Her daughter Clara Alexander is 87 now and is the oldest of ten children. They all remember how their mother would carry homemade food down dusty dirt roads to feed hungry neighbors.
Marjorie always put others first. A family member looked at the four generations gathered to celebrate and said “We just thank God that he have allowed her to be with us this long.”
Her daughter Lucy Arnold cares for her now and her words absolutely moved me. Lucy said “I asked God to give me that opportunity and it came.” What a powerful testimony of a family honoring their mother.
In the video Marjorie sings the beloved gospel song ‘Oh Lord I Want You to Help Me’ which was written by Jerome Chambers and Edgar O’Neal and recorded in 2017. The message of the song reminds us that we are fragile and we desperately need God’s divine intervention. We cannot walk this difficult journey alone and we must always ask the Lord to guide our steps.
Listening to Marjorie sing those words at 108 years old gave me absolute chills. Her voice carries the weight of a century of answered prayers and she sings with such pure conviction. She still goes to church every single Sunday and still sings and prays with all her heart.
Marjorie teaches us that taking care of family and trusting God is all that really matters. Her daughter Judy who lives in Baltimore mentioned how their mother taught them to be good people and provide for their loved ones.
Marjorie has gone through a whole lot of hardships in her 108 years of life, but I believe every single one of those tough experiences just anchored her deeper in the Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters, the struggles we face in our lives today whether it is a financial crisis a health matter or a messy relationship are not meant to destroy us. They are simply meant to draw us closer to God. We have to take those challenges as a real chance to grow more in Christ.
Marjorie is still praising God at 108 years old and that is exactly the kind of deep desire we all need to have. No matter what adversities come our way and even when age tries to weaken our bodies we need to be able to declare that I will lift up my God.
Please pray for our elderly loved ones that God would continue to wrap them in his peace and joy.
WATCH: 108 Year Old Raleigh Woman Shares Her Beautiful Secret to a Long Christian Life
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