Today I am so incredibly blessed to introduce you to a Soli Deo Gloria Sister, Jenn. She actually hosts the Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone) sisterhood link-up each week– and lemme tell you what, it’s a powerful experience. Be sure to share the love with her both here at 7 Days Time and over at her place as she shares a little piece of her heart and what it means to experience Jesus… Everyday!
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I was incredibly afraid of taking them to another funeral. I was afraid to watch them bury yet another great-grandparent. I was afraid that they would fail to see the hope and the life and concentrate solely on the deadness, on the vacant body, on the loss.
But Mama Gal, or Mrs. Mavis to some, she didn’t plan to go out without reminding everyone for whom she lived. And how can you instruct people to talk about your faith without imparting the hope that comes with the name of Jesus Christ?
The preacher extolled Mama Gal’s bible reading. He held up clippings and pictures that she kept in her large-print bible. He read some of her notations and shared some underlined verses.
And the mind of my eight year-old daughter absorbed all the hope she could as her eyes filled with tears.
It was a whirlwind trip to Shreveport, Louisiana, and soon as she got to her room, Abby took out her glittery Bible and opened the front cover.
You see, the preacher said Mavis spent a lot of time reading Romans and so Abby decided she would too. And so she wrote herself a reminder.
You see, the preacher said Mavis wondered if the current generation really could have faith amidst all the pain and suffering of this world. And so, Abby would wonder this, too.
You see, the preacher said Mavis believed the Bible spoke the truth and that she couldn’t wait to glory with her Lord up in Heaven. And so, Abby decided she would believe this, too.
You see, the preacher said everyone who Mavis held dear was recorded somewhere in her Good Book. And so, Abby recorded her names, too.
Even from the other side, Mavis taught her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren something the day she was laid to rest:
Read the Word. Believe it.
It will be a glorious day to be with the Lord.
It’s okay to wonder, especially about the hard questions.
Hold your family dear. Pray for them often.
Making Jesus part of our everyday life isn’t just about us. It’s about all those watching us. We have the opportunity to show how an authentic, challenging, loving, hard, glorious relationship with Christ is the best thing ever. Even if we are already in the grave. Jesus uses our lives no matter if we are here on earth or up in Heaven.
Let’s make each life, each day, count. Who knows? Perhaps something you write in your Bible today will transform the life of your eight year-old great-granddaughter.
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Jen Ferguson is passionate about Jesus and walking in community with sisters in Christ to better know Him and make Him known to the world. While there are many facets to her life, she actively tries to live without labels so to live in the fullness of who God created her to be. She will encourage other women to do the same as she speaks and writes for His glory. She lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband, two little girls, and her running partner, Hank the Cow Dog. She blogs at Finding Heaven and you can find her on Facebook at the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood
