BALTIMORE — Living to 100 seems pretty normal these days right?
People use all sorts of things to achieve longevity in life like special diets and routines, but the Rev. James W. Smith credits his relationship with God.
"Everything you do in life is involved around a relationship," James explained.
His journey began in North Carolina, where at a young age, he had to take care of his seven siblings.
He was also drafted into the army, but was never actually in the war.
He was a "special cook." That's fancy talk for a dietitian.
James is still cooking to this day.
"I'm still cooking. I made my breakfast this morning. I took two boiled eggs, a slice of toast and a cup of coffee."
His favorite thing to eat is simple, a bacon, egg and cheese.
He's been preaching for 65 years and didn't use a cane until he was 97. James didn't stop driving until November 2023.
All of this is possible through his relationship God, something he taught his family growing up.
"God comes first, family comes second. When you come into a family, you're there and you're there for the duration. Family is a lifetime deal," his daughter, Audrey Smith, said.
James got married in 1950 and they met at, well you guessed it, church.
"I looked to God to point me towards someone that I would be satisfied with during my life," James explained.
Living to 100 wasn't an accident. It's something James and his family call "the promise."
"When he retired from the ministry, his last sermon before he retired, he said that God told him that he would live to be 100. And then, when he preached his 100th birthday sermon, he reminded people of God's promise to him," his daughter said.
"He says God told him that he was supposed to share his message. He was supposed to let people know that if God makes you a promise, he will deliver," she added.
It all circles back to relationships as James put it, and he's developed great ones with his clinicians.
"It truly is a patient population that's just so appreciative of care that they were able to take give, and for Mr. Smith and our aging veterans, it's so nice to be able to interact with them," Ravi Tripathi, infectious disease doctor at the Baltimore VA, said.
When asked about what he learns from the veterans Tripathi said, "You can learn from textbooks and you can learn in a classroom, but when you get to actually do your job, you can learn how to age gracefully and appreciate the world around you."
His daughter says a regular day for Smith involves studying the Bible and plotting out summaries.
"He may never use some but he studies every day, you can see talking to him, that his mind his good. And it's centered around his faith and his study," Audrey explained.
After God delivered on his first promise, James has his sights on something else.
"God has his trophies and I hope that I am one of them. But you have trophies for bowling, God has trophies... My hopes are high," James said.