Prayer – Lord Jesus, You gave us a good example of honoring Your loved ones when You raised Lazareth from the dead and when You directed John to care for Mary as his mother when You were hanging on the cross. Help me to remember and honor those in my life who have passed one. Thank you for the wonderful Christian people that have been part of my family and my life. May we always honor You.
Meditate.
Consider God’s guidance in scripture.
Today would have been my sister, Shirley’s, 76th birthday. Unfortunately, she was a victim of domestic violence incident on December 8, 1989. Here’s my tribute to her about her first visit to meet our great grandparents.
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| Aunt Norma and Shirley |
“Welcome! Oh, I am so glad you are here! Let me see that sweet baby girl!”
Great-grandma Mackey opened the screen door and shouted into the house. “They’re here. Come out here Grandpa.” Then she took the hands of little Shirley Mae who had just turned one year old and danced around the yard. Precious little ringlets of hair topped her head and graced her smiling, angelic face. Such a happy toddler.
Reuben and Dorothy, with little Shirley, had traveled 470 miles from their home in Warden, Washington to Dorothy’s grandparents’ home in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was the very same house that Dorothy had been born in just over twenty years earlier. Now, in the summer of 1949, it was a long hot journey across eastern Washington, Oregon and half-way across Idaho to Twin Falls to see these grandparents and other relatives. They had stopped along the way at Baker City, Oregon, for lunch and arrived at the Mackey’s home early in the evening—just in time for supper.
Aunt Norma and Uncle Bud drove up in their car just then. They lived a few short miles away and often visited Norma’s folks—checking on them and taking them to the grocery store when they needed something. They picked up Aunt Mae, Grandma Mackey’s sister, along the way and she tottered up the sidewalk behind them. She was a short little spinster of a lady with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Hugs and more hugs. Everyone was bubbling with happy greetings.
Norma was enthralled with little Shirley. Norma and Bud didn’t have children of their own—and growing up Dorothy was a favorite niece who spent lots of time with them until Dorothy’s family moved over 550 miles away to the Portland area when she was just a teenager. They didn’t get to see much of Dorothy after that. They were thrilled that Reuben and Dorothy had made the long trip with baby Shirley. Norma took a gift from a bag and gave it to Shirley. It was a cuddly little lamb—just the friend that Shirley clung to—hugging it for all she was worth.
“Well, let’s all go inside and have some cool iced tea and some roast beef. I’ve been cooking this pot roast all day.”
“Oh—Mama! The house is so hot! Let’s eat outside—here by the porch in the shade.” So, at Norma’s suggestion they pulled some chairs from the house and enjoyed dinner under the huge maple trees. Picnicking right in their own yard. Aunt Mae shook her head a bit at that. They all should be eating around the table in the dining room—but it was much more pleasant in the shade and she soon was shedding her sweater and her “proper” ideals for a comfortable chair and a cool glass of tea with the family.
Little Shirley, who had just recently started walking, stepped around the circle of family showing everyone her new little lamb. Smiling and teasing them by giving them the lamb and then snatching it back. “Lamby” was as popular with all the family as that dear little princess.
Their visit was short—but oh so sweet—and filled that need in Dorothy’s life to reconnect with family and share in the joy of her first child, Sweet Shirley Mae.
Family. A time to remember. A time to rejoice in the relationships that bonded us forever—to Christ and to each other. I’m honoring the memory of Shirley and of all these family members who have passed.
Verse
of Salvation ~ "Brothers (and Sisters)—you sons of Abraham, and also you
God-fearing Gentiles--this message of salvation has been sent to us! Acts 13:26
Happy Heavenly Birthday to Sweet Sister, Shirley.
Miss you…still.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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