Last night someone died... someone I worked with at church. Okay - not just someone... it was a beautiful woman that I worked with for years. She was as close to a mother as anyone could be since my mom died years ago.
I can't imagine the planet without her soft gentle spirit. We were not always in contact like perhaps we should have been - but we worked together for the children. We worked for years on the children's programs at our church. We were in sync... we were in tandem.... we totally agreed on the priorities of children's church programming. It doesn't sound like that much... but she was there as I brought my babies to church while we worked.... and then my babies grew up.
One of her smallest, greatest gifts to all of us was birthday cards. Generations of children (and their Sunday School teachers) received a birthday card from our church each year... not from Margaret.. but from our church. The effect of this self-chosen ministry of hers is one of the reasons I have been working diligently for years to improve my own efforts at sending cards.
In the last few years, as she pulled out of the church work... and I was struggling to find myself in the way that only us middle-aged folks understand... we met for lunch a few times. never often enough, of course. The kids were gracious - and came along to humor me... but their presence was critical to a lady who only wanted the best for the children.
I don't even know how to react now. Well... maybe I do. I think there are children who will have birthdays who should have a card from my church. I will think through Margaret's card ministry and add it to my own "card resolution".
This special lady was one of those people who are always THERE. She always had a smile, she was always willing to do whatever she was asked to do..... her greatest fault was that she didn't feel good enough... yet she was better than all of us. I'm sorry she's gone from my life.... but I'm thrilled that heaven has another angel to help God look out for me and mine.
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