Thank You Mom

Dear Mom,

Hope you are enjoying Heaven.  We want to thank you for all the lessons you taught us while you were here. There has been no better teacher or Christian example on how to be selfless and love others well. Your focus has always been on Jesus, your family and others. Our childhood is filled with countless memories of watching you serve others – riding in the back of the hatchback holding the lawnmower in the car driving to cut grandma’s grass, going to clean the church, or visit sick church members. While other kids were playing in summer baseball leagues or going to the pool, we were learning about putting others first while going with you to take care of Grandma Plew. You were always there, committed, loving unconditionally. It is because of the way you cared for others that we were prepared to take care of you.

Thank you for teaching us about putting others first because even through the last few years of illness, we were blessed to have been able to love you and care for you the way you have done all your life. Also, it is because of the hope that you gave us in Jesus that we were able to endure, knowing that we will one day be able to be together again for eternity.

Mom, you were always smiling. You found enjoyment in everything you did, even in the seemingly most mundane tasks of laundry or picking up sticks in the yard. Everything became a game – who could run boxes into the house faster while moving, who could rake and bag the most leaves, or who could pick the most green beans. You taught us to be joyful always, in whatever you did and to do all things without complaining.

Mom, lovingly known by others as Mrs. Kodak, we always hated the way you paraded us around to get our pictures taken – with each of our grade school teachers, in front of every building on our college campus, or with our doctors. But you were so proud of us, you made us the focal point and we have loved reminiscing over the many memories you have given to us in those pictures. Thank you.

Thank you for being our prayer warrior. We always could count on you to be lifting us up to the Lord for anything. Before any big test, speech, new job, or difficult relationship or situation, we could call you and knew you would give us good counsel and pray for us. And we could expect a call right after to check in and see how everything went.

More than anything, mom, you wanted all of us to know Jesus. From reading Bible stories to us as kids on your bed, taking us to church, and studying the Bible together, you were always focused on being more like Jesus. You desired that we all followed the Lord and wanted that for everyone. While we are sad to not watch you do this for your grandkids, we are grateful that you have provided us the example to raise them to know Jesus.

While we can’t imagine being as humble, genuine, selfless, caring, honest, or generous as you were, our greatest gift is to honor you by living in a manner worthy of the Gospel, in the manner that you did. We love you!

Rose, Steve, & Angie