Noeline’s Inspired Book

A 90 -year- old reframes her story!

Noeline Boag, aged 90 years young, long-time resident at Holly Lea

(Retirement) Village and parishioner of St Barnabas’ Fendalton, has a new lease of life. Afterall, if Sarah can have a baby at 90 (Gen 17: 17) then Noeline can write a book at 90!

In recent years Noeline had been grappling with feelings of irrelevancy in today’s fast-paced, younger-focussed, modern life stuck in a “mire of despondency,” as Bunyan might have described it.

Enter journalist Jehan Casinader, who, following a significant bout of depression, wrote a book called, This Is Not How It Ends: How rewriting your story can save your life (HarperCollins, 2020). Promoted as a book of “healing and hope” it outlines the power of storytelling, especially to help re-write/ re-frame our stories, even the broken bits.

This inspired Noeline to write a book about her life’s experience. Her book A Pilgrim’s Story begins in 1932 in the UK. Noeline didn’t think she had lived an interesting life, but she put pen to paper and began her writing journey. She chronicles her experiences as a nurse, working in Ashburton (the UK version), her exploration of faith, and becoming a nun for over twenty years, helping to set up a Children’s home in Fiji, then her ongoing battles with chronic fatigue and depression. Her health was a source of oppression and limited her life greatly. But through it all emerges a rich tapestry of a life lived well.

“In recent years, instead of valuing my life and accepting it as a precious gift, I’ve been hoping I don’t linger into a decrepit old age. As it is, I’m now 90 years old, living in a retirement home, dependent on a walker and experiencing cognitive difficulties. Jehan threw me a challenge to reconsider where I am with the current version of my story.”

Noeline Boag

Noeline, with the help of Olive Lawson and Jo Cotton from St Barnabas, got her story published in November last year. Holly Lea put on a fabulous book launch and invited Jehan! Their meeting was inspirational in itself, and the NZ Woman’s Weekly featured the two in a recent publication (10 Jan 2023). (Read it here www.nowtolove.co.nz/ news/real-life/answering-noelenesprayers-46445.)

Editor’s note:

I was inspired by this story both of them! The take - away from this is that, regardless of your age and health, you are valuable and loved by God. Psalm 71: 18 speaks specifically to this: “God, now that I'm old and gray, don't walk away. Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation all your mighty miracles and your excitement, to show them your magnificent power!” (The Passion Translation). Or this little gem from Isaiah 46:4: “Even as you grow old and your hair turns grey, I’ll keep carrying you! I am your Maker and your Caregiver. I will carry you and be your Saviour” (TPT)

The book, A Pilgrim’s Story, is the journey of one woman’s walk with Christ, told with honesty and simplicity. The book is available for purchase from the St Barnabas’ Church office for $20. Eftpos is available. Contact Jo Cotton jo@stbarnabas.org.nz