Pauline Williams celebrated her 100^th birthday on October 7, 2007. She was surrounded by family, song, friends bearing presents, and tears. It was not your usual birthday gathering. Grandma Great had been slowly declining for several years and had suffered a stroke on the Wednesday before her birthday. At 2:30 PM she released her last breath on this earth.

Her life has been a very full one: born in east Tennessee, married to Frank Williams for 54 years, minister’s wife, college librarian, piano teacher, student of the Word, mother of 2, grandmother of 6, great-grandmother of 8, and great-great-grandmother of 1.

Grandma Great, as she was dubbed by her first grand child (our oldest daughter and the mother of her great-great-grandson), was a passionate student of the Word. She loved to discuss the Bible. She was a gifted teacher and taught an adult class until she was 90. Her love for the Word was matched by her love for people. The stories told by her care-givers at the nursing home bear rich testimony to her love for Christ, her commitment to share His love with others, her compassion in the midst of her own suffering.

The first time I spent any length of time with Grandma Great (my wife’s grandmother) was at Pearson’s Mill Christian Camp (now Rainbow Christian Camp) in 1975. She and Frank were there as the "grandparents" of the week of high school camp. He was 74 and she was 68. They shared their lives with the guys and gals that week. Little did I know what our relationship would become in the subsequent years. But their witness made a strong and lasting impression.

Service to Christ knows no boundary and carries no expiration date. It is our response to His incredible love, mercy, and grace. In this season of Thanksgiving, rejoice in the greatest blessing of all by sharing it with others. They will be eternally thankful. Grandma Great proved that for a century.