Luke 6:35
But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I can’t let this day pass without acknowledging two influential women in my life… my cousin, Betty Rhea – whom we later called Granny Betty – and my great-Aunt Zula. Both of these ladies loved with big hearts and had generosity to spare. Granny Betty was a “character” – larger than life with a boisterous, bubbly personality. She never met a stranger, and everyone adored her. Family was top priority with Granny Betty, and she doted on everyone, especially her grandchildren. Aunt Zula was a quiet, orderly school teacher. She devoted her time to her students, her family, and her church… and not necessarily in that order. She was a hard-working Ozark woman with Southern grace and genteel beauty.
While Granny Betty had a quick wit and snappy comebacks that left you laughing and smiling, Aunt Zula had the patience of Job and a low-key – but no less fun - personality. Only once did I ever see her halfway irritated… she felt a cousin had tried to take advantage of her… something that totally ran counter to her moral fortitude.
So what do these two ladies have in common, aside from their love of family, their connection to me, and their Christian faith? In the mid-1990s, Granny Betty suffered a stroke. After her husband died and she could no longer live at home, she lived in a nursing home for nine years, slowly declining until her death on December 21, 2005. Her funeral was held on December 23rd. Aunt Zula’s adult home was in Quitman, Arkansas, and she lived minutes from the school where she taught fourth grade for decades. Old age took its toll on her in recent years, claiming her eyesight, her hearing, and generally wearing out her 91-year-old body. And on December 23, 2009, she became seriously ill. She was rushed to the emergency room at our hospital, where my mom visited with her briefly. Doctors determined there was nothing left to do but keep her comfortable, so she was transported to her home a few hours later. My mom phoned to tell me that Aunt Zula barely got back into her own bed before she passed into Heaven.
If you have ever lost a loved one at Christmas time, you understand that it is almost surreal. People are hurrying and bustling here and there. Most are jolly and upbeat. Many don’t know how to respond to you in your grief… especially at what is supposed to be such a celebratory time. Truthfully, you don’t know what you are supposed to feel, either.
But I have my own theory…
This is the "Season of Giving." And honestly, what greater gift could any of us receive than to get to sit at the feet of Jesus in Heaven?! So my thinking is that Granny Betty and Aunt Zula… and others who have gone before them in the Christmas season… got an extra special Christmas gift! I know they wouldn’t come back for a thousand trees with a zillion gifts piled underneath. I know that they were good to the people around them – they lived big and loved big – and they earned their reward in heaven.
I am not sad as I think of my loved ones who have passed during the holidays… or any of my loved ones who have passed. I know that EVERY day is Christmas for them, because they spend their days with Jesus. My prayer is that we would live in such a way that we are pleasing to God… that we would ove our enemies and be good to all people. We can’t earn the reward of heaven with good deeds, but I would much rather sit at the feet of Jesus knowing I served Him well, wouldn’t you?
Today, thank God for the “Granny Bettys” and “Aunt Zulas” in your life. Thank Him for the love and influence of those who have shown you the example of being good to everyone and “loving big”. Thank Him for the gift of Heaven. And say a prayer for those who are saying a final “Goodbye” to loved ones this holiday season. Ask God to give them His comfort and peace … and to fill their hearts with happy memories of their loved one for Christmases to come.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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