Nellie- A Woman of Impact

Do you matter? Are you important? Are you impacting lives? Some of you will say, “Yes.” Most of you will shake your heads and say, “Not me.”

Consider Nellie.

Nellie wasn’t a rich person, or a famous person. She didn’t live in an era when women aspired to be corporate executives. Yet the simple love she shared still impacts my life.

We moved across the street from her just before I turned three.

Cooking

Nellie cooked. Yummy smells permeated her house. With her old stand mixer she made yeast bread and other goodies that delighted my little girl tastebuds. Who knew you could make your own bread and that it tasted so good? We bought bread at the store.

Sewing

Nellie sewed. It fascinated me to watch her. She took pieces of fabric and turned them into clothes, aprons, and even a braided rag rug. Wonder filled my eyes when Nellie gave me a box filled with doll clothes on my birthday. My little heart wrapped around the marvel that she cared enough to sew for me, and she knew what size dolls I had. I determined to learn to sew when I grew up so I could bless other little girls.

Playing

My older brother and sister went to school all day, so I often played with Eddie, the little boy Nellie babysat. Adventures abounded in her back yard as we played cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians. Nellie always had a smile, a hug, a treat, and a quick laugh. She rescued me when Eddie pretended to tie me up or put me in jail. I felt safe and peaceful playing at her house.

Jesus

My first exposure to Jesus came from Nellie prompting my mom to take us to Vacation Bible School when I was three or four. We only went one day, but I still remember making people from wooden spoons and singing “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, oh a wee little man was he…”

Adventures

She turned any outing into an adventure, even picking blackberries. We parked at the river only to find the berries she wanted required us to wade across the river and stand waist deep in the water to pick. Often mischievous, once the berries were safely stashed Nellie started a water fight, then ended our day with a picnic basket filled with treats.

We moved when I was five, but Nellie remained a part of our lives for many years.

Impact

It’s easy to see why I sewed doll clothes and costumes for my daughters. Why I baked goodies for them and their friends, and played with them often. And most importantly, why Zaccheaus made me want to know more about the Bible. It was Nellie’s legacy.