Eulogy for my Mother-in-Law
For Imogene
Pro 31:1; 10-31 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.
I didn’t write this, but I wish I had…
To “His” Mother
“Mother-in-Law” they say, and yet,
Somehow, I simply can’t forget
T’was you who watched his baby ways
who taught him his first hymn of praise
who smiled at him with loving pride
when he first toddled by your side.
“Mother-in-law”, but oh, t’was you,
who taught him to be kind and true.
When he was tired, almost asleep,
T’was to your arms he used to creep.
And when he bruised his tiny knee,
T’was you who kissed it tenderly.
“Mother-in-law” they say, and yet,
Somehow I never shall forget,
how very much I owe
to you, who taught him how to grow.
You trained your son to look above,
you made of him, the man I love.
And so, I think of that today.
Ah, then with thankful heart I’ll say
To “Our” Mother.
I’ve been thinking in the past few weeks, that how our Churches have grown, there are hardly any left who remember Imogene “as she was…”
Not many remember this woman who was a “world class” cook; a maker of dolls and baby quilts, a birthday cake baker, a barber, a school bus driver (one of the first in Knox County) and a woman who loved children - her own, everybody else’s as well.
There aren’t many left who saw her raise her children in church, and take preachers home for Sunday dinner, Sunday, after Sunday, after Sunday… There are few now who’ve tasted her scrumptious Italian Crème Cakes or Jam Cakes or melt in your mouth pastries…
Ah, but those of us who do have stories to tell… For 30+ years I’ve written poems that included her presence, and told tales that regaled her importance in my growth as a wife and mother. She cared for us, and gave herself to care for others. When Brenda Carroll was our pastor she once said, “As long as Imogene has someone to care for, she’ll be fine…” And she was. Losing her ability to care for others was, I think, one of the hardest things she ever had to endure.
And, losing her, so slowly, over so long a period of time has been one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to endure.
The scripture said, “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.”
And she was.
It said, “She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her.”
And they do.
And then it says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”
And she is.
The Choir of Heaven sounds just a little sweeter tonight…
Pro 31:1; 10-31 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.
I didn’t write this, but I wish I had…
To “His” Mother
“Mother-in-Law” they say, and yet,
Somehow, I simply can’t forget
T’was you who watched his baby ways
who taught him his first hymn of praise
who smiled at him with loving pride
when he first toddled by your side.
“Mother-in-law”, but oh, t’was you,
who taught him to be kind and true.
When he was tired, almost asleep,
T’was to your arms he used to creep.
And when he bruised his tiny knee,
T’was you who kissed it tenderly.
“Mother-in-law” they say, and yet,
Somehow I never shall forget,
how very much I owe
to you, who taught him how to grow.
You trained your son to look above,
you made of him, the man I love.
And so, I think of that today.
Ah, then with thankful heart I’ll say
To “Our” Mother.
I’ve been thinking in the past few weeks, that how our Churches have grown, there are hardly any left who remember Imogene “as she was…”
Not many remember this woman who was a “world class” cook; a maker of dolls and baby quilts, a birthday cake baker, a barber, a school bus driver (one of the first in Knox County) and a woman who loved children - her own, everybody else’s as well.
There aren’t many left who saw her raise her children in church, and take preachers home for Sunday dinner, Sunday, after Sunday, after Sunday… There are few now who’ve tasted her scrumptious Italian Crème Cakes or Jam Cakes or melt in your mouth pastries…
Ah, but those of us who do have stories to tell… For 30+ years I’ve written poems that included her presence, and told tales that regaled her importance in my growth as a wife and mother. She cared for us, and gave herself to care for others. When Brenda Carroll was our pastor she once said, “As long as Imogene has someone to care for, she’ll be fine…” And she was. Losing her ability to care for others was, I think, one of the hardest things she ever had to endure.
And, losing her, so slowly, over so long a period of time has been one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to endure.
The scripture said, “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.”
And she was.
It said, “She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her.”
And they do.
And then it says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”
And she is.
The Choir of Heaven sounds just a little sweeter tonight…
posted by Betty Newman at 5:30 PM
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