Mama's Message
“I love you.” I believe, this would be the first thing Mama would want conveyed at her Memorial. I love you. Of course this would go out to the family she devoted her life to. It would also go out to all those in attendance and those who are not. Mama was a champion of love! She would encourage us to be champions of love as well. Not really the gushy, mushy stuff. I think more of a concentration on the rock, the foundational love, is where Mama would point to and frankly it’s where we need to be focused. That love that might shake and may even falter but it’s not going to fail. It will never fail.
In the gospel of Mark chapter 12 it says - One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
I love you is the first message.
The second message would be “I am blessed.” When you asked Mama how she was doing, you inevitably got the response “I am blessed.” Later in life, as age did what it does to Mama, it became less common to hear that response, not because Mama didn’t feel blessed but rather because she could not connect the words as quickly. Instead of hearing it everyday, you would get it through a flood of tears on special occasions - “I am so blessed” . At times you could find Mama in tears in her chair. For what reason? “I am so Blessed!” Mama would want this message to encourage us to know what it is to be blessed. To understand that regardless of situation or circumstances, blessing is always present, and just as important, we should recognize it and give God thanks for it.
Deuteronomy 28 says “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”
I am blessed.
The next message I think Mama would have said is “You are a kingdom family.” This message was important to Mama. We need to understand that we are a family that is an example of God’s love, His grace and His fellowship to the world around us.
The quote from Joshua chapter 24 that says - “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." was a standard Mama raised in her life and in our family. I found a yellow sticky note in her purse with this statement handwritten on it. We should be encouraged to raise the same standard and in doing this we will be set apart as a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. I think the message to be spoken would be an encouragement for us all to follow the example of Isaiah when he says “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.”
Mama would want us to always remember, our family, your family, all families who are willing to raise the standard - You are a kingdom family.
Mama would definitely have more messages to share but due to time I will make one last entry into this message.
I believe that Mama would want us to know “and So does Jesus.” This would be the most important part of her memorial message. It would likely be the last point made because Mama would want you to remember it. You may forget about all the other points but do not forget - and So Does Jesus. In almost every letter or card, and even in a few email later in life, Mama would sign off with these words - “I love you and so does Jesus.” It is not that Jesus is second place on the love thing. It is that we need to understand that Jesus’ love is the anchor to all of our love. Jesus’ love deserves to come right before the period because it is the final word.
There is certainly some power in a mother’s love for her children and there is certainly some power in our love one for another. But there is Mighty Power in Jesus’ love; Power to heal hurts and hurting relationships; Power to replace weakness with strength, to support failing hearts, to repair what was broken and to replace what was taken. And ultimately, I think Mama would want us all to understand that in the Love of Jesus there is Power to Save.
The last night I spent with Mama I read to her from the Bible. The final passage I read was Roman’s 8. One of my favorites and I think one of hers as well. The final part of that chapter says this - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I think Mama would want to make sure we all understand that Jesus loves us and it is in that love that you, that I, that we will find rest, peace, forgiveness and hope eternal. She would also want it to be clear that whether you have known about Jesus’ love or whether this is the first time you have ever heard of it, whether you have rejected it in the past or whether you have never had the opportunity to experience it - that love is available to you. It is free and she would want you to know that it is all that you could imagine.
If you want to know more about this Love, ask anyone in our family. You see we had a Mama who made sure that we understood that she loves us - and so does Jesus!”