It seems Lydia’s greatest accomplishment is not her academic credentials (three master’s degrees and a dissertation shy of a Ph.D.), nor her professorships, nor her love of the languages (including Croatian, English, Russian, French, Latin, Spanish and probably more), nor her Fulbright scholarship, nor even her skills as a gifted artist and painter. Neither does she rest in the rich cultural experiences she has acquired by traveling the world over. It seems her greatest accomplishment by far is something that God gave her: a relationship with him through Jesus Christ that brings her happiness and purpose not found in world. Reading through her life and experiences, it seems that the theme of her life is: never look to oneself for happiness but look to the Lord for happiness and purpose. She has lived that purpose out with distinction during her now 87 years of living on this earth (as of this writing). As you read her story, you see that whether she is being driven around by the Swiss President, meeting Corrie ten Boom, working for an Ambassador in Moscow, Russia, or teaching missionaries at an international missions’ agency, this profoundly accomplished woman is really just a simple child of God who loves her Lord Jesus.
