2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith,
which first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice and,
I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Maxine's mother was my great-aunt, Eloise
I've always liked
2 Timothy 1:5
And we lived in Nice, France.
Time passed. About 7 years ago, there was a crash. My son broke many of them. Time went on for about 5 years. This is a no - name brand. And on eBay, I found 8 more. God is Good! Especially with this impossible thing. I've looked off and on for 20 years on eBay.
Every story has another story, and they usually bump into the idea
that in this life we will have Trouble. Jesus said.
A friend of ours, Cheryl, says her collections have collections. Well, women from the South, and others certainly understand.
I have collected Angels for our Christmas tree for more years than I'd like to say. And 3 years ago, I decided to browse vintage angel Christmas ornaments. I was drawn to one angel in particular because she looked like Maxine at about 50 years of age. When the Angel ornament arrived, I was very pleased. And realized the little ornament needed more ornate clothing. My aunt Eloise left me some beautiful ribbons and wonderful lace, and using these items, I decorated Maxine's Angel with the items left by Maxine's mother.
And in these 2 Christmas years, I look for this angel with joy. I've never run into a Christmas ornament, until recently, that resembled people.
One of my most favorite people was my cousin Maxine. For 12 years, I was her guardian through the State of Texas. In my youth, I loved to visit Maxine, who lived near us, to pour over her comic strip books with her. Or walk with her in their garden to find vegetables or the hill of their front yard, and we would find treasures of nature. And to later bring my children to sip Coca-Cola out of a bottle. Maxine would go on to have 23 strokes.
The one puzzle about Maxine was her zipped lips after she said there is no Heaven.
No God made earth and a mythical Heaven. She would announce this was the end of the discussion.
The Cloud of Witnesses
I'd point out all of the people we were related to, Maxine would even go back to her grandmother, Melissa, who was my great-great-grandmother. And I'd ask her if she thought they were foolish or uninformed people. No, she would agree, they were wise and good. And I'd ask her if they Believed Jesus as God and Heaven as His Kingdom, what would they be to Believe in Him? Zip went the lips.
And one day she was in the Hospital, at age 83, and I asked her if she was going home to live with a Judge appointed companion or if she was going to Assisted Living. She was, of course, furious, but I pointed out this was the State of Texas, and we were going to do what she requested. Maxine decided on Assisted Memory Loss Living. She would stay for 12 years.
12 years of Memory Loss Assisted Living would seem like a tragedy. One day, she told me they had radiators in her home and a huge fireplace, but she couldn't remember being this warm or this cool, in Dallas. Our family typically lives to 94 and Maxine did just that.
Maxine's husband, JT Price, directed the TV shows for Lassie and the Lone Ranger.
They had an incredible Living Room filled with photos of the Brown Derby. Photos of so many movie and TV stars. Photos of the Lone Ranger in the Brown Derby without the hat or the mask. TV's dog, Yukon King, retired with them and lived in Dallas.
Under Jack Wrather Production. JT's childhood and lifelong best friend. They lived for 3 decades in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 2 miles from Sunset Blvd. And they loved the Lobby. Meet and Greet. One of the things Maxine loved about the Assisted Living, was sitting in, "The Lobby."
When she died, at age 94, I went to the funeral home and realized her coffin was the white French furniture of her youth. The house she lived in when she grew old, with Aunt Eloise and JT.
She was going to rest forever.
Then, I was meeting all the family left at Kessler Park Methodist. And several people wept, of course I did as well. And the Minister asked us about Maxine's soul. We all had to confess to her unbelief.
And the Minister asked if we had seen any sign at the time of passing.
I said, yes today, I did. Her coffin she had picked out is the same furniture of her youth and young woman years, she kept in pristine, condition since 1917. And I wondered why the strokes had ended Maxine's speech. Why, she was mute for about six years. What was God thinking.
And the Sermon for her passing was, The Spirit Hovered over the Waters of Creation.
Genesis. The Lord was giving Maxine time. And we believe that Jesus was reaching out to the woman who had seen some of life's hardships. Giving her the time to understand in His Creation, His Spirit hovered over the waters. And in her closing years, His Spirit was doing a work we will only see, after our years of loving her and our prayers. It was a very honest and touching Funeral. For the woman who had given harbor to family in need over the years. Hospital stays where children had a loving home to care for them during their parents being at work or in the hospital. Maxine definitely remembered, during her years there, the wonderful love she had for JT.
For the casual observer, this might seem a small thing, but to be able to put such a person to rest, and to feel this Blessed Assurance of Jesus Christ as the Way to Salvation - this was mighty to us.
And still, I ponder. Maxine was mute. She was unable to say. Because of the strokes.
And this week, I was praying, speaking with the Lord and I asked if He would give me a sign. I wondered about the 7 levels of Heaven Paul had known to tell about. I thought of Maxine and wished I had remembered her more in my prayers.
We had the attics busy with insulation. Today, I prepared Christmas items to repair and improve. I picked up Maxine's look-alike Angel ornament and brushed gold on the wings. And startled.
I should finish this conversation:
When Maxine would jam her lips shut and say no more about Heaven and the Lord, we just rolled on. We were family. And after listing her favorite people, who were, as Maxine said, "Very faithful and believed." We would stop.
One day, we went to sit on the front steps and have bottled Coca-Cola, Maxine kept for us. We sat down and started to visit. Maxine said, "I want to go back to the discussion I never want to have." We all laughed. And Maxine said, "No, seriously. There is something about a Butterfly. Something in the Butterfly connects me to the belief in The Lord and His Heaven. I can't describe this further, but this really exists. The cocoon, the rising, the glory For a minute, I understand."
Hebrews 4:7
God again designated a certain day as “Today,”
when a long time later He spoke through David
as was just stated: “Today,
if you hear His voice, open your hearts.”
2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation
I helped you.”
Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
Hebrews 3:7-8
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“ Today, if you hear His voice ”
Today, I remembered the conversation, from 3 decades past. And only for one reason, as I brushed gold on the Maxine like Angel ornament, the wings were shaped in the mold, long ago, to be the shape of Butterfly wings. The little Maxine Angel Ornament, is the only one that has small wings. And they are Butterfly wings. I probably wouldn't have seen this as such without the gold paint, just barely, brushed on.
And my heart understood. The sign. The Gift. The Lord.
God is Good.
Go into all the world and preach the good news
to all creation
Mark 16:15
All
Things
are
Interwoven
for
Good
for
those who Love the Lord
and
work according
to His Purpose
Abba, Father!
WE PRAY
Yes, BLESSINGS
and
GIVE THANKS
FOR YOUR BLESSINGS
THANK YOU
The safety
of Your people.
Please pray for our continued good health.
And the health of
our first grandchild born this summer.
The safety
of those
helping the earth
to heal.
The prayers answered
for those
putting their
heart in His Hands.
Let evil and practicing evil
depart
far
from us
and our children.
With Your Help
We will act justly
and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with You, our God.
Dwell in me,
Dwell in us,
Dwell in those we Love,
Help us to seek You first.
And we will finish well,
in Jesus Christ.
Help us seek and find
and bring,
to become,
more Heaven
to this earth.
And in Jesus - This Hope.
Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.
Amen
Yes The Lord Fulfills His Purpose
Thank You Jesus
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