So walk in Him ….

Today marks the anniversary of my mom’s homegoing to Heaven. One of her long-time friends with whom I was reminiscing on Sunday asked me to post again what I said at the celebration of her life.

Before my sister Anne, brother-in-law David, and I left the hospital room following mom’s death, I stepped back to her earthly shell, kissed her forehead and said, “I love you Mom. Now we are going to go and live like you taught us.”

Mom taught us…

—to love God first, others second. She demonstrated how to LIVE and SHARE the Gospel. Mom wanted everyone with whom she came in contact to know “her Savior.” Imagine the interesting looks she received as she asked a total stranger, “Do you know Jesus?” She taught us to say “I love you” with words AND deeds.

—to be strong in the Lord. Because of her deep, abiding faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus, she was a pillar of strength in the midst of turmoil.

—to be joyful. As my quintessential example of “the joy of the Lord,” regardless of circumstances surrounding Mom, the joy of the Lord radiated brilliantly upon her face. Those who knew her can picture in your mind’s eye her beautiful, sparkling smile.

—to pray, not formulaic or rote words, but how to live our entire lives in prayer. Mom’s prayers were often phrases of praise and adoration to the Lord sometimes “bellowed out” in song—even secular ones that precisely expressed praise to her Lord. Often I stood at her doorway listening as she prayed for each of her family (Basically anyone she ever met!) by name.

—to be generous. Did you ever get a little gift from her? You know, a cheap, useless thing, devoid of any real value. Yet, because it represented her love for you, it received as a treasured, priceless gift.

—to laugh. Did she ever tell you about Uncle Ned and Bossie? Her often mischievous smile was contagious, wasn’t it? And her “tickle box” often got turned over at inappropriate times.

—to dance. Can’t you see and hear her singing, dancing, and kicking up her heels?

—to be thankful. Regardless of how little she had, she was always thankful for the Lord’s provision. She always said thank you for every little thing I or anyone else did for her.

So, in honor of mom, on the anniversary of her homegoing to Heaven, “go and do what Mom taught us to do” as Colossians 2:6 & 7 says,

… as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

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