Mary Shy, a 101-year-old Christian woman from the Smoky Mountains, says God is the reason for her long life. As she nears her 102nd birthday, she is inspiring us with her incredible faith in God and positive attitude towards life.
Stories like Mary’s remind us that age brings beauty and wisdom. Her life shows us how faith, strength, and a good outlook can shape our years. As we learn about Mary, we might think about our own lives and what we want to leave behind.
Mary Shy’s life is full of faith and purpose. She told CBN News, “It’s just what the Lord wants. So you don’t argue about that. When He’s ready, He’ll come get me.” Mary believes God still has work for her here, even if she’s not sure what it is.
Even at her age, Mary stays busy and takes care of herself. She lived alone for 40 years until recently. Now she lives with her grandson David Duncan and his wife Kelly. Kelly says Mary is “spunky” and has “an incredible sense of humor.” Each week, Mary goes to church, gets her hair done, and even gets a pedicure every other week.
Mary keeps active at home too. She does laundry, washes dishes, and often makes her own meals. She likes to have a bacon and jam sandwich for lunch, sometimes with a small Payday candy bar. Mary also drinks a small glass of red wine most days.
What stands out most about Mary is her love for the Bible. She reads it for more than an hour every day, as she has for years. Mary says, “Oh, every time you read it, you get something new out of it. I don’t care if you read it 15-hundred times.” This daily time with God’s Word clearly helps keep her faith strong.
Mary isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she looks forward to it. She says, “Heaven is going to be so wonderful that who in their right mind, if they know about it, are going to be the least bit concerned about it?”
Mary was with her daughter when she died and says she saw her reach out to Jesus. This has shaped how Mary thinks about her own death. She firmly believes, “Don’t tell me that Jesus doesn’t take your hand and take you home. You’ll never convince me that that’s not what he’s going to do for me too, one of these days, for all of us that know Him and trust in Him.”
Kelly, Mary’s granddaughter-in-law, points out that God is in control. She says, “Our days are numbered. Our times are in the Lord’s hands. I don’t know how it all works. You can be 50 and fit and the Lord call you home, or you can be 101. So those things are up to the Lord.”
When we think about Mary’s life, we might ask ourselves some questions. Are we living each day with purpose? Are we growing our faith and staying positive, even when things are hard? Mary’s story tells us to see each day as a gift from God, to live with intention, and to trust His plan for us.
Mary’s daily Bible reading reminds us how important it is to stay close to God’s Word. Her active life encourages us to stay involved and help others, no matter how old we are.
Let’s try to be thankful each day, looking for God’s purpose in our lives, whether we live to be 20 or 102. As we go on, let’s pray for Mary and all our elders. We can ask God to keep blessing them with His presence and peace. May their wisdom and faith keep guiding us in our own faith journeys.
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