"Steadfast in affection or allegiance, firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty, given with strong assurance and true to the facts, to a standard or to an original."No one on earth better exemplifies this than my Aunt Marian, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95. For every single one of her many long years, she was faithful to God, to her family, and to herself. What an immense legacy she has left to those of us who mourn today. It is difficult to even find words for all she has accomplished in her quiet life.
She was known far and wide for her hostess skills - you couldn't get out of the car in front of their house before a tray of treats was arrayed in splendor on the kitchen table, with the coffee brewing, and my uncle Albion insisting we needed a little ice cream to go with whatever she had whipped up. I don't think there is anyone who has been to her house that doesn't think of those treats with a smile, because she found such joy in serving in that way, and her joy was as infectious as her loving smile.
But there was so much more to her than that. Marian was someone you could count on to be there in whatever way you needed her. Steadfast was her middle name, especially when it came to love.
She was a loyal and supportive wife to my Uncle Albion, and a wonderful mother to my cousins. Her family was her pride and joy, and she lived to make them happy and found joy in their every accomplishment. She always had a photo or a story to share, and as grandchildren came along, she added their milestones to the list of things she would share with everyone who came to see her.
But she didn't limit her love to her immediate family. She loved her entire, large, extended family, and kept up, to the very last days of her life, with everything that was going on with everyone. Just a couple weeks ago, she asked about my new grandson whom I had just been to visit, and was thrilled to see his photo and hear about my family. In the midst of her suffering, she reached out to bless me with her love and caring and interest in what was important to me. That is the selfless example she has always set for me, and what I hold close to my heart when I think of her.
And she reached beyond even that large circle to the community at large. Marian was loved, deeply, by many people, because she loved them deeply in return. She knew what was going on with every acquaintance, and she cared about them completely. She was a steadfast friend, and she uplifted everyone who spent time with her. Generations of people will remember her because of her unlimited shower of affection she poured out on those who came into her presence.
But she was more than that, also. There was never any doubt about who was in charge of her life, and it wasn't my Uncle Albion, although it may have looked that way from the outside! God was at the center of her life, and she quietly lived a life of faith which strongly influenced those who observed her. She never hesitated to fall back on God's love and mercy, and stayed firm in her adherence to the promise of salvation. In her final days, she was ready to go to the place God had ready and waiting for her, trusting in the promise of the resurrection for her eternity. She knew God had a plan for her life, she was prepared to go where God led her, and she was always confident that God would be there to help her through whatever trials came to her. She was inspiring and uplifting, as she lived her confident vision of faith in action. I know she infused that faith in many others, just as she did in me, simply by the way she lived her life.
My aunt Marian was truly an original, one of a kind aunt. She had a hug for me and her eyes lit up whenever I came to visit, she enjoyed hearing about and seeing photos of my family and my life, and she always welcomed a card or note, making sure to let my mom know how much it meant to her that I thought of her. I can only hope that she knew how much she meant to me, and how she will be missed, even as her legacy lives on through her children, grandchildren, and indeed, in all of us who knew and loved her.
I think Psalm 91:16 was written for Marian.
"With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."God has given her a long and wonderful life, and now she is reaping the rewards of the salvation God promised her.
I will miss you more than I can say, but I am rejoicing in the knowledge that you and Albion are now together in the presence of the Lord, and it is a happy day once again.
Isaiah 40:31
"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."Rest in well deserved peace. You will be so very missed. Tears on earth but joy in heaven.
