RA

One of the sweetest memories I have of my childhood is the beautiful RA. She had the prettiest silvery white hair I have ever seen, and a smile to match.
RA and her husband gave my mother and me a ride home from church ever service. She worked in the nursery at least every Sunday morning. They babysat me overnight more than once (one of those times they told me I wore out their TV. Apparently, after I left it died, she said "it wasn't used to being watched so much." lol. I did watch A LOT of TV, a great escape)… She made the best Strawberry Shortcake! They took us under their wing, like family they didn't have… most importantly… I know she loved me!
RA always had a smile and a silly poem about me for me every time I saw her (probably not too hard… May is easy to rhyme…. ). I still have my purple and white doll she gave me, my kids play with it now…
Most of what I learned from her/them was from watching them live the life of a Christian… loving people, meeting needs if they could-by doing/helping not necessarily by giving money. They were faithful to the Lord in their attendance to church and they're service at church and to the people in the church. In the dozen years that I knew them, she was one of the few who always followed through with promises made. When she got sick with leukemia the summer before I was 13, she promised she would get better and then we would go out to lunch just the two of us… that was the hardest part of her not getting better. That was the only promise she didn't keep…
I remember thinking she couldn't have died, she made me a promise and she never broke her promises. But that wasn't in her control… and her time in my life was over. I miss her, but the memory of her sweet spirit lives on… and I pray that one day, I can have as sweet a spirit as she did.
It is also my desire to follow her example in being a keeper of promises… one that is known and can be believed and trusted to keep any promise they make. I know sometimes things happen and no matter how hard one tries a promise gets broken, but I want to strive for the reputation that proves broken promises to be a rarity… especially with my kids :)
W & R A probably did a lot more for me and my mother than I'll ever know, but I know they set a godly example of Christ's love for others to see and follow, for me to see and follow…
"…May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful…"
I want to follow those footprints, too…

Comments

  1. I too knew the love of these two dears. I'm thankful they were there for you :)

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  2. They were so special! Two of my favorites! I can still see her beautiful white hair and that genuine loving smile…
    And that leads to other lovely memories…
    There were some good times back there :)

    ReplyDelete

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