This psalm gave my Grandmother Dortie great confidence
and comfort. She could recite it by heart, and it empowered
her to cope with everything life threw at her. Through desperate
times on her farm, the loss of her husband, recovery from accidents,
illness, loss of loved ones, she lifted her eyes to the hills
and patiently waited for help to come from God.

My grandmother was never alone a day in her life. God
was her constant, faithful companion. She never doubted God’s
presence, never once questioned God’s love. She took the good
and the bad in stride because in all things she believed—no, she
knew—that God was with her.

How does a person develop such a deep and abiding trust
and confidence? What moves a person from belief to a faith of
certainty and peace? My grandmother employed a simple yet
transformative process for developing her strong faith. It is not
unique, profound, or unusual. She committed to four practices
that worked together to build an indestructible faith: prayer,
reading the Bible, praising God, and loving neighbor.

I do not remember a day when my grandmother did not
take time for prayer. Nor can I recall one day passing where she
did not read and reflect on scripture. For every blessing, she
offered thanks to God, and for every setback, she asked what
she could learn from the experience. And I have never known
one other person who did so much for so many as a basic daily
practice. She fed the hungry, housed the visitor, welcomed the
stranger, and visited the sick.

My grandmother lived a hard but fulfilling life. She never
cursed the difficulties; she always praised the blessing. Few
people have ever known more joy, comfort, security, or hope
than my grandmother, Dortie.