By Mary Denman
I’m sitting here, searching for words.
A year ago today, I was in Italy with my husband. I knew mom
wasn’t doing well. But she had wanted us to go on that anniversary trip.
I already knew she’d be gone before I returned. Strangely, I
had peace about it. However, the trip was bittersweet. My heart was breaking.
I didn’t want to lose my mom.
But on May 1, 2013, she slipped from her broken body into
eternity. To be in the presence of God.
Oh, how I miss her.
She made plans for eternity. She lived for eternity. She
finished her race strong.
And she left us kids and daddy an amazing legacy.
Her marked up Bible….
I want to share her love and insight with you.
I can tell what notes she wrote before her stroke in 2002.
She had a beautiful script.
After the stroke, the words became a bit shaky. You see, she
was right handed before the stroke but learned to write with her left hand.
Amazing to do in your 70’s!
Then, as she weakened, you can see how the underlining
wasn’t so straight.
You can see how the passages on suffering became more
important.
They brought her comfort. I know this because I watched her
crying out to Jesus to help her.
To give her strength for another day. To fight on.
The more she suffered, the more convinced she was that God
was in control…
That’s the legacy she left.
To trust God in the midst of the pain.
To dig into her bible.
To understand more of God.
I am humbled to have had her for a mom.
No, she wasn’t perfect.
But she was just the mom I needed.
A mom who loved me unconditionally.
A mom who pointed me to God.
A mom who loved my dad.
And told him that every day.
Mom, thank you. I love you from the bottom of my heart. And I miss you every day.
Love,
Mary
Tweetable:
I have my grandparent's Bibles and I love them for the same reason. It's one of the reasons I make notes in my Bible. I want future generations to know my struggles as well as God's victories in and through them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this special glimpse into your family, Mary.
You're so welcome Cathy! I'm trying to use the photographs of Mom's bible so all 6 of us kids can have a record.
DeleteEdie said she has three bibles and makes notes in all of them for each of her sons! I'm not that organized, but I am making more notes in my bible so my kids can see the struggles and victories too!
Thanks for dropping by Cathy!
How wonderful to leave behind that testimony. It's wonderful to know your mom is heaven. That's what I wish for all of my loved ones too, when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteHi Rosey! It is a precious gift she left us. :) I am very grateful for it. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhat a treasure, Mary. I have Brooke's Bible filled with her precious notes. I do this in my Bible in hopes it will bless and comfort my loved ones . Thank you for this post. Love You. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteOh Dee Dee, I'm so glad you have Brooke's Bible to cherish. I'm sure your notes will be a wonderful blessing to your family. :) You're a blessing to me too! Can't wait to hug your neck!
DeleteA precious tribute to your Mom, Mary. What a godly woman. I have my Mom's Bible and it is a treasure to me. I love reading her love notes to Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you have that Sherry. God's word is all we need, but it sure is nice to have our mother's loving notes spread throughout it!
DeleteA beautiful tribute to your mum Mary.
ReplyDeleteThanks Claire. I'm glad you wrote about Judy. It was nice to know how much she loved blogging and how much she wanted to get back to it. I'm glad you two teamed up. I'll be praying for you too. It's hard to lose a friend.
DeleteSo sorry for you loss. Thanks for sharing. Such a lovely tribute to your mum.
ReplyDelete