Independent and Loving Life

“I love it!” says Lydia Stewart on the subject of Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc., and the supports and services she has chosen to receive from the organization. Lydia currently receives support from Bethesda in Frankenmuth, Mich., where she resides in her own apartment.

“It’s a miracle,” says her mom, of what Lydia has been able to accomplish with the support of Bethesda. Initially, her family was skeptical about Lydia moving from a group home into an apartment.

Family is very important to Lydia. She speaks to her mom frequently, and recently attended her nephew’s wedding where she wore a purple dress she picked out. “If he doesn’t dance with me, he’ll get a kick in the butt,” she said before the wedding.

Lydia moved at age eight to Bethesda’s Watertown, Wis. campus and resided there until she moved to the Frankenmuth group home in 1982. “She speaks very fondly of all her experiences at the Watertown campus,” says Ann Finta, Area Director for Mich., who works with Lydia, “she enjoys recalling her time as part of the handbell choir.”

In 2000, Lydia took the final step to independence when she moved into an apartment. She lives with three other women and a cat, Elvis.

Currently, Lydia is employed at Springhill Suites, where she performs housekeeping services daily. Her favorite part is “lunch, then everything else,” she says.

Honored in 2002 with a Christian Service Award for Volunteers by Bethesda, Lydia continues to volunteer her free time to great causes. She works with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League setting up banquets and meetings. She also gives her time to a Lutheran nursing home in the area, where she visits with residents. Finally, she has assisted Bethesda in several film projects.

“I love Jesus, he’s in my heart all the time,” says Lydia. She attends church at St. Lorenz near her home. She loves her pastor, Pastor Kaiser; his presence is her favorite part about going to church. “Lydia has a strong relationship with God and strong ties with her congregation,” says Finta, “In any crisis in her life she really relies on God for comfort and has taught me that simple faith in God’s will can get you through those tough times.”

Of course, living alone is a big responsibility. The women must keep the house clean, do laundry, pick out groceries, and everything else that comes with a lifestyle without live-in support. “I can do anything I want,” says Lydia. She also determines how to spend her money; she recently purchased a television and a DVD player with money she earned from her job.

“I think Lydia’s biggest success is doing what she needs to do each day to accomplish her goals,” says Finta, “She has the ability to achieve greater independence, but motivation was always a challenge for her. She has learned to motivate herself for the right reasons, not just for an immediate reward, but to become more independent and a vital member of her home, family, church and community.”

In her free time, the enthusiastic Lydia loves to cross-stitch pillowcases for friends and family. She is also fond of riding her bike, going to the library and reading poetry. She enjoys staying fit and recently won ‘The Big Loser’ award in her house for losing the most weight in a month.

“I am just so proud of her,” says Finta, “many people thought that she would never be able to learn the self control to do the things she’s doing. She is living independently, getting along with housemates and co-workers, doing her share of the household maintenance, keeping herself healthy and looking good, and working and volunteering in the church and community. She has proven that she can do all these things, and she still has plans, so only God knows what else she’ll be able to accomplish with His guidance.”

Lydia loves her family and Bethesda, but she reserves a special place for her Lord and Savior; “when I’m in the dumps I look at Jesus and say, ‘Help me be strong.’”