Somewhere along the way, a lot of us picked up the idea that serving God comes with a retirement date. You teach the class, lead the youth group, raise the kids, and then you step back and let the younger crowd take it from there. Lynn McLarty never got that memo. At 81, and after more than fifty years of following Jesus, she’s still making spaghetti for a Friday night Bible study of twenty or more people, handing out gospel tracts, checking on friends who can’t get out, and filling a little blue book with the names of people she prays for. In this special episode, Kimberly Faith sits down with her mom to talk about what Paul meant when he urged us to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” and how that one calling has taken many shapes over a lifetime: wife and mother, Christian school Bible teacher, youth leader alongside her husband John, owner of a little Italian restaurant in the roughest part of town, and foster parent to about 100 children.
It all starts with Ephesians 4:1, and Lynn puts it simply: our real vocation is being ambassadors for Christ. That’s the title at the top, and everything else falls under it, whether you’re teaching a Bible class or grabbing coffee at a drive-through. And here’s the part so many of us need to hear: you don’t have to be like the person next to you. God sees who you can become long before you do. As the seasons of our lives change, the assignment will change too, but one thing is promised in Psalm 92 that the righteous will still bear fruit in old age. God isn’t finished with us at any age. When we surrender every part of our lives to Him, He opens our eyes to the needs all around us, and there’s no retiring from that kind of calling.
Jacob Paul: Welcome to the Truth in Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith.
Kimberly Faith: We seek to present God’s timeless truth through the lens of his remarkable love. Well, I am just honored today to have my sweet, wise mother, here for Podcast one ten. Good, good day, mother.
Lynn McLarty: Good day, daughter.
Kimberly Faith: We’re we’re talking about something that is that you are so qualified, of course, by God’s grace to talk about, and that is your vocation and the vocation that we are called to. And we wanna kinda start with, Ephesians chapter four verse one, where Paul says, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called. And I I just wanna say this about you, mom. For those of you who don’t know my mother, she has she and my dad have had a number of vocations in their life. And they have used every vocation that God has allowed them to enter into, and I can say this without hesitation, as a platform to glorify God.
And what a blessing. And, mom, one of the reasons I wanted I felt led to the Lord to have you on the pod podcast is because you are now an octogenarian. Is that a is that a real word?
Lynn McLarty: Well, it doesn’t sound very good.
Kimberly Faith: It’s no. I think it’s a tremendous accomplishment.
Lynn McLarty: Okay.
Kimberly Faith: I just hope I can I can be there someday? You know? But you are you have this amazing life that as a person who has been a Christian for is it been
Lynn McLarty: Over over fifty years.
Kimberly Faith: Over fifty years. Is serving you’re serving the Lord in your eighties just like when you were in your thirties, but the vocation has morphed into different a different venue than when you started. And that’s what I really wanna talk about because it’s it’s super encouraging to see someone just never looking back, never retiring from the service of God. And you, as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, as a sister, as so many different roles have done that. And that’s what we’re talk about today.
Lynn McLarty: Okay.
Kimberly Faith: So we’re using this this verse as our anchor, but I would love for you to give us an idea of just the if you can remember all the types of vocations that you and dad have had, I think that would be a great way to start.
Lynn McLarty: Okay. Well, of course, at the time we got saved, we had four children and three that were right under our wings, you might say. So, I would say that, you know, being a mother and a wife is a pretty important vocation.
Kimberly Faith: I agree.
Lynn McLarty: But when we got saved and joined the church, that was like an incredible anchoring step in our life.
Kimberly Faith: How so? Explain that.
Lynn McLarty: Well, because it put us you might say if think about a little army unit, it put us in a unit of people that had our backs, that were there to teach us, that were there that we could minister to, that we learned how to reach out and minister to people in need. And it was a training like going to a boot camp. So, we immediately got into good studies. And I remember as a mother, I mean, I came out of the hippie generation. But I had a great mother, a great example.
But it was kind of different. I kind of just kind of thought that was just I don’t want to be like my mother. And I’m gonna do something different. So, getting into a good church, my pastor’s wife was my example. I watched her.
Kimberly Faith: Miss Martha.
Lynn McLarty: Miss Martha. And Brother Brian, I mean, he was like a great example of somebody who is always reaching out to people, always ministering to people. And one thing that he did that was very key in our walk with the Lord was he always thought we were better than we ever even imagined ourselves being. He always thought of us as leaders and you know? So I would say that that’s really important is the people that you’re around to always be encouraging to them.
But, anyway, miss Martha was a great example of a mom and a friend and sister in Christ that I looked to and I watched, observed her life. But that was in the church. So the of the unit God gave us was very crucial in my life.
Kimberly Faith: You know, you you mentioned that you got involved with the church and bible studies. And I remember as a child, one thing that you and dad did is you all always just showed up. You you started serving immediately. You know, I think I remember you teaching. And we as children just went along.
We weren’t, like, kept from that. We we got to see you serving and serve along beside you. Mhmm. And it was very consistent. It was it was a faithfulness in just showing up
Lynn McLarty: Mhmm.
Kimberly Faith: And as part of the ministry. And I mean, obviously, as children, they have a different view. But I remember just we were at we were either at church or involved with some, you know, church activity as much as we were at home. Yeah. You know?
And and it was part of that. Our church was our extended family. Mhmm. You know? So I think and I like what you said about brother Brian.
I feel like brother Brian was very good at teaching us to you you call a person what they’re supposed to be, and they’ll become that person.
Lynn McLarty: Right.
Kimberly Faith: Right? So so you you started out as a wife and mother?
Lynn McLarty: Wife and mother. And as a wife and mother, I was very interested in having a school at our church for our children. So that brought me into a prayer life early on besides when I first got saved. Saw how God answers prayers. So that became a very important part of my life is just praying that we could start school for our kids.
I didn’t know what exactly what it looked like. I’m not really a I wouldn’t call myself a teacher that that would be my one of my strengths.
Kimberly Faith: But you are. You were a very good teacher.
Lynn McLarty: But I did get involved in
Kimberly Faith: Was that kind of one of the first things you did was teach in the Christian school?
Lynn McLarty: Well, one of the yes. One of the first things I started doing was I was the bible teacher, and I’m all about learning through visuals. Mhmm. So I I was very involved in lots of visual aids and at our school when we got it started.
Kimberly Faith: Now it seems like you and dad were also youth leaders.
Lynn McLarty: Oh, my.
Kimberly Faith: Was that right? Do I remember that right?
Lynn McLarty: That’s right. That was one of the vocations that my husband announced one night. We were laying in bed and he said, Honey, I think we’re gonna become youth leaders. And I was like in shock. I never said a negative thing about it though.
Right. I just I just thought, well, God’s calling us to that. Okay. Hang on to your hat.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. How long did do you remember how long y’all did that?
Lynn McLarty: Oh, was no. I don’t I don’t recall. Yeah. Everything blends in. Sure.
Sure. But And
Kimberly Faith: then did you after you became a youth leader because I I know that you and dad have had various wore worn several hats in the church. Mhmm. You know? What about your vocations outside the church?
Lynn McLarty: Well, we had a I think this happened next. We had a little restaurant on Dixon Street.
Kimberly Faith: Oh, Little Italy.
Lynn McLarty: Little Italy. I was in college when you guys did that. And really, I was kind of a stay at home mom. And then I’m trying to remember
Kimberly Faith: Oh, you went to work at a sub shop.
Lynn McLarty: I went to work at a sub shop. And that was just for some reason, we just felt liberty for me to do that. Well, the whole point of that was we inherited the sub shop and we turned it into Little Italy on Dixon Street. It was on Dixon Street, the worst part of town. And we had ministries to all the well
Kimberly Faith: The people that needed ministry.
Lynn McLarty: The people that needed ministry
Kimberly Faith: Because back then, Dixon Street wasn’t bougie. No. It was kind of a little bit of a rough crowd.
Lynn McLarty: A rough crowd. Yeah. They had fights across the street. Sometimes you we had all kinds of people hanging out in our doorway.
Kimberly Faith: Yep.
Lynn McLarty: And we ministered to a lot of
Kimberly Faith: People.
Lynn McLarty: People. And that probably wouldn’t have been reached by most church people.
Kimberly Faith: So you had you had a mission that was your vocation turned into a mission field, and that was that was it was kind of in stride with actually making a living, you were actually having this mission field.
Lynn McLarty: Well, it turned into a good mission field but not a very good income.
Kimberly Faith: Probably because you gave away so much lasagna.
Lynn McLarty: And I think maybe our kids did too.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. I think we took our share. Oh, goodness. Well and I think one of the things that I remember that was most impactful for me was just you and dad serving the same church for over fifty years. And but every every phase that you did, whether it was teaching in the school, whether it was leading the youth group, I I mean, I’ve just seen you all in different positions.
You whether you were working in the secular world or at working within the church, the mission was the same.
Lynn McLarty: Yes.
Kimberly Faith: And that’s what what Paul’s talking about. Our vocation our vocation is to glorify God.
Lynn McLarty: Right? That’s right. And yeah. And I and I think of the great commission.
Kimberly Faith: Mhmm.
Lynn McLarty: You know, and we’re ambassadors. Really, our vocation at the top of the title would be we’re ambassadors for Christ.
Kimberly Faith: Right.
Lynn McLarty: And so whatever we do as an ambassador is just under the heading of ambassadors for Christ. Whether we’re going through a drive through and getting coffee for your daughter or whatever it is. Our main goal has been to see souls saved.
Jacob Paul: Well, and what’s amazing to me is that you now, you know, in your eighties, when a lot of people just fizzle out, you I see you and dad as busier for God’s kingdom now than than I remember you being when I was younger.
Lynn McLarty: You
Kimberly Faith: know? And it’s like it’s almost like it’s become more intense in a lot of ways.
Lynn McLarty: Well, I’ll I’ll tell you this. It’s it’s become actually more I just feel more comfortable in the things God’s called me to Mhmm. At this age. Because when when you go through these changes in life, which I’ve been through a lot of different ministries I mean, we had a 100 children come through our home from foster care.
Kimberly Faith: Oh, that’s right. You all were foster care trainers and foster parents.
Lynn McLarty: We were foster parents, foster parent trainers. So that was another whole was an ex vocation.
Kimberly Faith: And you brought those kids to church and you ministered to those children.
Lynn McLarty: And some of them got saved and some of them are still we still have an opportunity to minister to them. And then, of course, we adopted four of them. Right. So but something I was gonna say is I remember a phase in my life where I felt very insufficient. Like, I would look at other people around me and think, well, gosh, they’re teaching and they’re doing this and they’re doing that.
Know, should I be trying to do those things? So I went through a phase in my life where I tried to live up to what other people were doing.
Kimberly Faith: Well,
Lynn McLarty: that’s not a good route to take. But, you know, God can use all things for his glory. So I was used during those years. But I remember when the Lord finally showed me, Lynn, that’s not what you that’s not you. And I can use you and your talents and your gifts.
And, you know, he knew who we were from before we were even born. Yeah. And he gifted us all different. We’re all different. We don’t we shouldn’t try to be like the person next to us.
We should try to just trust God and be every moment where he wants you.
Kimberly Faith: I think about that verse in Ephesians two ten that says, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has ordained before that we should walk in them. Yes. You know, we you are a different workmanship, different work of art than I am, and our gifts are different. But it’s kinda like the body our design of our body. We can’t if we were all just brains Yeah.
Or if we were all just hearts or if all just legs Yeah. It would be a terrible misfit.
Lynn McLarty: We would it would look pretty funny. So I think that that was a that’s kind of a good thing for people to know when they’re on this journey. Yeah. Is that there’s different phases in your life. And sometimes when you’re finishing a phase, kind of a time where, you know, you really need to just seek the Lord.
Yes. And not Push the round You try to figure out what’s next.
Kimberly Faith: Yes.
Lynn McLarty: Because I would have never figured out all these things that have gone on in my life in my own brain.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. You know, that’s a really good point, mom. Because when you look I look back over your life, and I think about all the different phases or vocations within the main vocation that God had you and dad involved in. You know, if you had known that from the outset, it probably would have exhausted you. But looking back, it’s a glorious picture.
And and really, I think about how the Bible talks about, you know, every one of us receive gifts. And in Romans 12, I think it is, we have gifts differing according to the grace it has given us. Mhmm. You know? And we’re supposed to use those gifts.
And when we do, it feels so natural. Feels comfortable. And that’s such a you know, I I’ve always had the gift of gab. And I’m not saying I’m good at this podcast, but it’s very natural for me to have a conversation with people.
Lynn McLarty: Mhmm.
Kimberly Faith: And, you know, help them bring out what’s maybe in their heart or their mind. It’s something that I love doing.
Lynn McLarty: Yes. And you’re good at it. And Well, thank
Kimberly Faith: you, mom.
Lynn McLarty: I wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t in charge.
Kimberly Faith: Well, mom, you are doing a great job. And and, you know, what’s interesting to me about something you’ve done really well in your life with your gifts is you’re really good at taking, observing someone’s gifts and knowing what those gifts are and helping them to see that and then encouraging them to use that for God’s glory. You’ve always done that for me. Mhmm. You know?
Is that is that resonating?
Lynn McLarty: I’ve always I’ve always saw that you were very talented and that God was gonna use you in miraculous ways, and he obviously is.
Kimberly Faith: Well, I know the reason that he is is because you prayed. Yes. And going back to one of the things you mentioned earlier, you know, we were having a front porch conversation earlier about about prayer.
Lynn McLarty: Yes.
Jacob Paul: And they what was that? You were talking about a verse in Samuel, I think.
Lynn McLarty: Yeah. Let’s see. It was
Kimberly Faith: About about how we were we to not pray
Lynn McLarty: To not pray
Kimberly Faith: is a sin.
Lynn McLarty: Is a sin against God. And I was we had our preacher preached a sermon last night and I just really got convicted. Thought because, you know, we go through phases of lows and highs in our life. And so if we’re in a low, you know, we just need to get back up. But, you know, that’s why the church is so good.
How I got back up was I heard a sermon at our church. And, you know, it was And
Kimberly Faith: then a friend called you.
Lynn McLarty: And then a friend called me. From church. And she said, Oh, Lynn, you wouldn’t believe this. Last night, Kenny was preaching about that we’re sinning against God if we don’t pray for our brethren. And I’m thinking, Oh my gosh.
I said, Well, Sherry, I heard that same message and the Lord was speaking to me too. I realized I’m just a big sinner. So I got it straightened out this morning. Yeah. I went and had the Lord woke me up early, and I went and had a great prayer time.
The church is so important
Kimberly Faith: in It’s our so important because we get to see like and, like, let’s just take in this this podcast ministry. You know, think of the different people that we’ve been able to integrate into this. It’s not just Thad and I, you know, philosophizing about the Bible. This is, oh, we heard this sermon, and let’s let’s talk about how God changed that in our life. Or we had we had this person’s testimony like you’re you you coming on, and who knows whether somebody in Nigeria is gonna hear your testimony, and maybe a lady who’s in her sixties who’s discouraged and hears, well, this lady’s in her eighties, and she’s still serving the Lord in all these ways.
So I can do it too. Yeah. So the church working from afar to bring it down where somebody who maybe doesn’t have a good church Mhmm. Can be influenced. And because we’re supposed to go into all the world, the ends of the earth, and, you know, and and preach the gospel Mhmm.
And, evangelize and and and disciple. So this is a this to me is, again, following your pattern, what you’ve always modeled for me is to take the people around you, the people you’re discipling, and integrate them into what you’re doing or show them how to do what they were created to do and do it for the glory of God.
Lynn McLarty: Yeah. I would say that my main thing is I do what brother Brian did to John and I in the beginning. Right. Is I let them know that how the Lord’s using them and try to encourage them in what they’re doing. That I appreciate what they’re doing.
If they show up to church, I mean, that’s an encouragement to me. Right. So just showing up to church, you know, a brand new Christian young man, I went up to him and I said, you know, my husband had surgery, so we were home watching it on TV. And I was looking for you because you’re a brand new Christian, I wanted to make sure you were there. And he was so excited that I was looking for him.
So we can know, the church is Another thing I thought about is if we were just out here doing our Christian thing without a serious place that we’ve grown up in, where are we gonna bring that person to? Where are we gonna encourage them to go to have that encouragement and that growth?
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Because it takes more than us.
Lynn McLarty: It takes more than us.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. We have to
Lynn McLarty: We can’t keep up with all these people.
Kimberly Faith: Well, think about it. You’ve got college student who comes, who gets saved, come you know, maybe you actually led them to the Lord. They come to church. Maybe they’re not gonna be as effectively discipled by a 60 year old woman or an 80 year old woman or you know? And they need to be in college ministry.
Lynn McLarty: Right.
Kimberly Faith: And not that they can’t be. Yeah. But, you know
Lynn McLarty: It’s not ideal.
Kimberly Faith: That’s right. And I love what you said about, you know, encouraging people. I think about, you know, that that idea that, you know, God god gives us you know, he has he has created us, and he’s given us I think it’s in second Timothy one nine. It says, he saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Mhmm.
You know, take the idea of Gideon. You know, this is to to the point of you made of, you know, calling someone what they should be, and they’ll become that person. Yeah. Gideon was hiding in the winepress. He was a he was a farmer, and and he was the the lord the Bible says the lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.
He wasn’t a mighty man of valor Right. At the time, but the Lord the angel of Lord said
Lynn McLarty: The Lord knew what he could become.
Kimberly Faith: That’s right. The angel of the Lord said, dude, you’re a warrior, you know, and the Lord has called you to be a warrior. Yeah. I love that. Yeah.
And you my I mean, you have always been that for me. You’ve always, you know, just been that that encourager saying, you have this gift. God has so many plans for you. And that’s been it’s been you and dad have just always been that way. And I think about, you know, you as a prayer warrior too.
You know, I have I have several friends that are that pray for this ministry. Mhmm. And I know that’s the reason that it’s so effective. Mhmm. Because people are praying.
Lynn McLarty: And prayer is so important. You know, when you get older and you can’t do certain things
Kimberly Faith: Right.
Lynn McLarty: You know, prayer is essential for
Kimberly Faith: our the
Lynn McLarty: ministry.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah.
Lynn McLarty: And really what changes hearts is not us. It’s the Lord.
Kimberly Faith: That’s right.
Lynn McLarty: And so we need to pray pray for situations. And it’s not always what you say, it’s what you say to God.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Oh,
Lynn McLarty: that’s You know, prayers to the Lord because he’s the one that changes the heart, not us.
Kimberly Faith: That’s so good, mom. It’s not always what you say, it’s what you say to God. And I think of a particular situation where I had a very close friend who was becoming an alcoholic, and I was I just wanted to take that person and just talk with them. Right? But the Lord didn’t give me liberty.
It was pray faithfully every day for that person. And I kid you not, six months went by, and that person called me and said, I need your help. I’m becoming an alcoholic.
Lynn McLarty: Wow.
Kimberly Faith: And the fact that is such a black and white example Mhmm. Of we sometimes don’t need to say anything to that person.
Lynn McLarty: Right.
Kimberly Faith: We need to get with God.
Lynn McLarty: Yeah.
Kimberly Faith: And I I know that you’re a prayer warrior, and I you know, I I’ve listened to you pray, and I know you have your black book of all your people you pray for.
Lynn McLarty: Blue.
Kimberly Faith: Oh, is it blue? Okay. Yeah. That sounds nicer. But what are you what are your thoughts about praying teaching people to pray God’s word?
Lynn McLarty: Well, you’re really good at that, Kim. I’m learning. I’ve not I’ve experienced, you know, some of that, but I just pray from the heart. So, you know, however God leads me Right. That’s how I pray.
Kimberly Faith: Well, and I and I don’t one like, our conversations with God are all unique, obviously, just like our conversations with each other are unique. I I brought that up because one of the things that that the lord has been impressing on me is that we actually did I I think we did I had a devotional about this. The the circuit of god’s word, praying God’s word through the spirit to the father, like, enters us into that circuit. And I think about specifically, like, the prayers of Paul are just amazing.
Lynn McLarty: Now I’ve been studying those prayers of Paul lately because we’ve had sermons on them. See, that’s why the church is so important. Right. And I have been kind of examining his prayers, and it has given me more leanings towards certain ways to pray.
Kimberly Faith: Right.
Lynn McLarty: So that is a good that’s a good idea is to really look at Paul’s prayers.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Well, and the reason I bring that up is because I I want and here just in just a minute before we wrap up, I wanna I would like for you to give our audience an idea of what actually you do as a born again believer now, you know, in your eightieth decade to serve the lord. Okay? And I because I know prayer is one of those things. Yeah.
But before you while while you’re thinking about that, I kinda wanna just dip into this idea of prayer because I know that you are a prayer warrior, and a lot of people who are listening to this are also prayer warriors. But I wanna share, a personal experience about prayer that I’ve been that I’ve been trying to put in practice, failed miserably because it’s I think I think the enemy hates it. Okay? But just looking at the prayer of Paul the apostle in Colossians chapter one, And I I wanna read this because and as I read it, I want to and I’m not gonna read the whole thing, but I wanna read some of it because in a in a way that I have prayed it, just to kind of show by example what I’m talking about. Mhmm.
Jacob Paul: And Paul prays, we give thanks to God, the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. And and I just want to pause there. This is Paul articulating such a gratefulness for the brothers and sisters in Christ that are living in this, and not the hope of their money, the hope of their family, lineage of their, the hope of, you know, even a big church. But the hope which is laid up for us in heaven. And when I pray that, you know, when I I start praying the bible, praying this prayer of Paul, he goes on to say, which has come to you as it has also in all the world and is bringing forth fruit as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew of the grace of God in truth.
Kimberly Faith: You know, and then he goes on to say, since the day we heard it, we do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, and increased with the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to the his glorious power, and he just kind of goes on. And so when I’m praying for let’s say I’m praying for my children, and I’m and I’m asking the Lord, Lord, fill them with the knowledge of your will. Give them your wisdom. Give them extraordinary spiritual understanding so they can walk worthy of the calling, and help them be fully pleasing to you. These are the this is the magic to use it.
That’s the only word I can really think of Mhmm. Of praying the scripture. Yeah. And the power of taking the word, which we know is Jesus. Right?
And by the spirit, praying to the father and asking him to intercede and to do these things. It is such an incredible circuit.
Lynn McLarty: I love that in verse three. We give thanks to God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, a lot of times people are praying to Jesus. Nothing wrong with that. Right.
But Paul’s praying to God, the father of our Lord Jesus. Yeah. And then in verse 11, I just saw this and I thought, the long suffering with joyfulness of, you know, trials we’re going through. How do people see Christ? I mean, to think about somebody going through a trial and they’re joyful, that’s like only the Lord can do that in their life.
Kimberly Faith: Well, you’re hitting the nail on the head because when we start taking these One of things I do is I take a lot of these prayers of Paul and I’ll put them into a document Mhmm. And in my prayer on my prayer list. And I I try to kind of excise some of them out. And then as I start going through my prayer list, I’ll kind of go back and forth and and because I think what happens is a lot of times you end up saying, help this person, help that person, help you And they’re not getting specific.
Lynn McLarty: Right.
Kimberly Faith: And, there is just something very powerful about praying God’s word back to himself. It’s almost like you’re speaking his language more clearly. Does that make sense?
Lynn McLarty: Well, Kim, at 81 years old, a person can still learn new things. So that’s, you know, that’s something incredible really when you think about it that, It’s like reading a storybook and that there’s a never ending. You may only be here for eighty, ninety years.
Kimberly Faith: Right.
Lynn McLarty: And you don’t know the end of the story. Right. But what an incredible blessing we have as Christians to continue to learn and grow.
Kimberly Faith: Yes.
Lynn McLarty: Even when we get old. You know, we’re never too young, We’re never too old to learn new things. Yeah. And I feel like we can And serve the Lord. And serve the Lord.
Right. So at my age here at 81, my ministry’s become different, but it’s just as fulfilling. And it looks different sometimes. I mean, it looks like I
Kimberly Faith: You’re not a youth leader anymore.
Lynn McLarty: I’m not a youth leader, so I’m not out there.
Kimberly Faith: Right.
Lynn McLarty: But I think it’s more of the prayer. It started with when I had this change in my life, it started with the prayer. And I still had my foot in school, still I kind of graduated to the kitchen because I couldn’t teach anymore. It was just too hard for me. But I thought, well, I need to do something at the school because I still had kids in the school.
So I went to the kitchen, but prayer became
Kimberly Faith: Your main vocation.
Lynn McLarty: My main vocation.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah, that’s beautiful.
Lynn McLarty: And then from graduating from the school ministry, I didn’t really know what that looked like. Kids, you know, were But grown up pretty it just kind of morphed into encouragement. I cook for people.
Kimberly Faith: And you also have an evangelism ministry with your tract.
Lynn McLarty: With my tract.
Kimberly Faith: And you help, you know, for your friends that can’t get out. You’re very
Lynn McLarty: It’s kinda like God has given me insight into needs. And it’s not just needs like go buy groceries for somebody. It’s more like
Kimberly Faith: Be a friend.
Lynn McLarty: Be a friend. Somebody needs encouraging and he’ll give me what to even say.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah, that’s amazing.
Lynn McLarty: You know, or who to go up to. Who needs a hug? Who needs, you know, whatever? Who needs a phone call?
Kimberly Faith: I think about your life and I think about Psalms 92 that says, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age and be fat and flourishing. Now, mom, you’re not fat.
You’re very skinny.
Lynn McLarty: I knew she was gonna say that. Fat and flourishing.
Kimberly Faith: But you said it. You have a very satisfying life. And I do not know very many people that are in your generation, who are serving the lord like you do and have a satisfying life. And that is such a testimony. That’s one of the reasons I really wanted you to kinda give us this testimony.
And so let’s as we finish up, I know you’ve mentioned that these are the the different things that the Lord has given you in this season of your life. The ability to hug people, to pray for them, to visit with them, to be a friend. And that seems to consume a lot of your waking hours.
Lynn McLarty: Yes.
Kimberly Faith: I mean, along with ministering to your family. I mean, you still when I come visit, you wanna cook dinner. You know, you’re still you’re you and your husband, my dad, are hosting a Friday night bible study where everybody where there’s food and all like, 20 people come, sometimes more, and you’re still doing that. You’re still doing those things inviting make spaghetti.
Lynn McLarty: When you get old, just go, well, okay. I can still make spaghetti, so I just need to make spaghetti. Yeah. It’s well, and it’s You make adjustments.
Kimberly Faith: You do what you can do.
Lynn McLarty: You do what you can do.
Kimberly Faith: That’s And and the Lord blesses that. And and I think, you know, I want to if if you’re listening to this podcast and you’re, you know, you’re you don’t know what it is the Lord has for you no matter what age you’re at. The first thing he wants and and and when when we did the when we did the the the show on the widow’s mite, the thing that god wants first, it says, the Christians in Macedonia, they gave of themselves first. That’s the first thing we give. Like you said, we you step out and you be faithful.
You do what you know is right. You you commit yourself to a church. You give of your time. You find ways to do that because it’s not that hard. I mean, you don’t have to look very far.
There’s the fields are white under harvest.
Lynn McLarty: If you’re willing to surrender to the Lord Right. That’s the that’s the whole deal.
Kimberly Faith: That’s right.
Lynn McLarty: Because as you surrender, God opens your eyes
Kimberly Faith: He does.
Lynn McLarty: Of all the needs. There’s plenty of needs.
Kimberly Faith: That’s a great point, mom. And that is 100% true. When we focus our eyes on Jesus and every compartment of our life, from our entertainment to our free time to our work, to our money, to our everything. Lord, this is all yours. Mhmm.
It’s like it’s like the not only do we find freedom, but we find a vision before us of all the things that god has for us to do. He we read that verse earlier about he has created us unto good works.
Lynn McLarty: Right.
Kimberly Faith: And I don’t wanna miss a thing, do you?
Lynn McLarty: No. I don’t.
Kimberly Faith: I’d say you’re not missing anything, mom. I say you are full on Well. Serving the Lord.
Lynn McLarty: It’s a blessing. It’s God’s I mean, when you realize that your life is mean you have a meaningful purpose. I can’t imagine being my age and not knowing the Lord. And what would be I mean, what’s it all about?
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that’s a really
Lynn McLarty: Life would be so unfulfilling.
Kimberly Faith: Yeah. If you had even if you, you know, were a born again believer, but you were just like staying at home watching TV because you’re retired, you deserve it. I wanna do my life my way. I’ve I’ve served everybody else. You know, now I wanna be selfish, basically.
What an unsatisfying life.
Lynn McLarty: Yes.
Kimberly Faith: But you have experienced the fullness of joy and the great satisfaction that the Lord has for every person. Right. You know? And I just think it’s it’s extraordinary what the Lord has done with your life, and I really appreciate being your daughter.
Lynn McLarty: Well, I appreciate you being my daughter. I love you very much.
Kimberly Faith: Well, I love you too, mom. I wanna take a moment to invite you into something more. If today’s episode is encouraging you, don’t stop here. There’s a whole world of resources waiting for you at gofaithstrong.com. From devotionals and worship music to blogs and past podcast episodes, everything we create is designed to help you grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus.
We know how hard it can be to stay rooted and true throughout the week, which is why we poured our prayer and hearts into building a place where faith is personal, practical, and powerful. Whether you’ve been walking with God for years or you’re just beginning, you will find something to strengthen your journey. And while you’re here with us, would you take a second to like, follow, and share this podcast? It helps us reach more hearts with the gospel, and that’s what this is all about. So when you’re ready, head over to gofaithstrong.com and keep growing with us.
