Daily Lesson for June 10, 2015

Today's daily lesson comes from Philippians chapter 4 verse 8:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

(Today's lesson is a personal reflection in honor of my great aunt.)

Yesterday I had the honor of bearing witness at the funeral of one of the great saints in my life -- my great aunt Mary Woodell in Arkansas.

In 1960 my grandfather brought my mother and her two siblings back home to Arkansas, where they were then raised by his aunt Mary.  Those early days were difficult and at times tumultuous for both my grandfather and the children; but Aunt Mary was a strong rock of a lady whose deep and abiding faith in God was only equaled by her love for others.  She did for my mother and her family what she would do for generations of kindred, loved ones, and strangers alike -- she took them in, embraced them, loved them, fed their faces full of the absolute best Southern food anybody ever tasted. That food, and a copious drowning of sweet tea, and a good talk with Aunt Mary in the kitchen was always enough to keep one going in life -- even in the most trying of times.

My wife Irie said it best, God knew what He was doing when He made her a Mary -- because like Jesus' own mother Mary, our Mary was always willing to accept whatever child of God came knocking at her door. And who knows where we would be now if she hadn't always been willing to open the door.

Her little Methodist church went all out in a family meal before the funeral and the sanctuary was packed at yesterday's funeral -- nice reminders of what Aunt Mary's 95 years of living so well meant for so many others. The service was Wesleyan through and through.  I was asked to speak on behalf of the family during the time to bear witness and I shared Paul's final parting words to the church at Philippi.  "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  Surely, I said, if there were anything lovely in my family's life, we saw it first in our Aunt Mary.

I then closed my remarks by quoting Maya Angelou, another great Arkansas woman now departed, who said, "They won't remember what you said, and they won't even remember what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

Our Aunt Mary always made us feel good -- and loved; and love never ends.