Tuesday, January 14, 2014

 

What I learned at Martha Merrell's funeral...

We buried Martha Merrell yesterday.  Her funeral was yesterday at Southern Hills and it got me to thinking about the legacy we leave behind.  So here are some things I was reminded of yesterday.

Dave Merrell is a living witness of what a husband should be.  Martha has had Alzheimer's the past decade or so.  As she got worse, Dave spent more and more time caring for her.  I know it was exhausting and stressful.  I never heard Dave complain.  When they got married 42 years ago, I don't think that is how they envisioned their golden years.  Life is hard.  Real faith triumphs.

Christians form relationships that last forever.  Dave was not Martha's first husband.  Her first husband died of cancer several years before she met Dave.  Several times yesterday, someone talked about the church of Christ in Haskell, TX. and how they cared for Martha and her two little ones during that devastating time.  Many of those people were at the visitation and the funeral.  They made a fifty year difference because they took care of their own.  Made me happy because the Haskell church is one of my "adopted" church families.
And they spoke over and over again about how Southern Hills took care of Martha.  It's true.  Lots of ladies helped Dave watch out for Martha at church.  Even when she could no longer really be left alone to cook, she was a part of the Wednesday cooking crews.  Our ladies just worked with her and watched her. My wife Marsha was one of those.  But so were lots and lots of others. That's what church is.  That's what church does.

And here is my favorite Martha memory.  We baptize lots of people that are not already connected to church.  So when we baptize someone, we often invite the elders and their wives to come share in that special time.  Dave and Martha always came. It was a year or two ago when we had one of these and the family had some little kids there.  I looked up and there was Martha playing tag with the kids..  Made sense since she was a P.E. teacher.  Big smiles on all their faces.

That's how I remember Martha.  Three things she loved:  new Christians, kids, and playing chase.  And now the smile is bigger.  She's home.

So thanks for a great legacy of love.  Dave and Martha.  Showing God's love, loving each other, and loving others.

So Martha... we'll be along soon enough.  Till then, we will smile, chase, love kids, and bring people to Jesus.  Thanks for showing us how.

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