I recently attended the funeral of a very great lady, my dear Aunt Jessie. She was very near and dear to my heart. I am thankful and blessed for the many years I knew her and was touched by her smile and presence. The word of God says in Proverbs 18:24 that “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” and Aunt Jessie was that friend. Aunt Jessie was not my blood relative. As a matter of fact, only one person who attended her funeral was a blood relative. Still, the love for Auntie was visible in the many others who claimed her as their own.
Aunt Jessie was 101 years old when she passed away. At the age of 94, when it was becoming evident that Auntie would need extra tender loving care, her ‘niece’ Sylvia, who was also not a blood relative, moved Auntie from New York to Tennessee to provide the needed care. Sylvia looked after Auntie’s needs through her own strength, love, and funds. Our beloved Auntie wasn't dropped off at a nursing home and forgotten. The people who loved her, though not blood relatives, surrounded her and cared for her. Those she had loved and served took time daily to walk with her, sit with her, pray with her, and sing with her. As her age increased and Auntie could do less and less for herself, the level of care and love increased. What a beautiful picture of self-sacrificing love!
When God saw it was time to put Auntie to rest, He blessed Auntie with a most beautiful, peaceful funeral. People came from near and from far. It was supposed to rain that day. Though a few sprinkles did fall, the sun shone when the coffin was to go into the grave, providing warmth and comfort to our hearts. As I followed the motorcade, I noticed the custom in Tennessee is that traffic, from both sides, pulled over to the side of the road to honor the life that once was. I was in total amazement! The people who saw the motorcade bowed their heads, and the men took off their hats, showing their respect. Amazing!
I know not where Auntie's blood relatives were, but when God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,’” He means it and will fulfill it. I saw that in the life of my Aunt Jessie, who was born in the Caribbean and lived most of her life in New York and her final years in Tennessee. God honored Aunt Jessie for a life devoted to His cause—spreading Godly, self-sacrificing love to others. She helped wherever she could, however she could, and whoever was in need. Auntie lived a life devoted to God and service. She never married and had no children of her own. But God gave her a family, as stated in Psalms 27:10 (NKJV), “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” The Lord took care of Aunt Jessie.
Call to Action
Are we following in the Lord’s footsteps of service and self-sacrificing love? What a wonderful world this would be if each of us took to heart the principles taught in 1 Corinthians 13. We may have many great things to offer, but they are all only meaningful if we have ‘love.’ The greatest miracle is that of the changed heart. Only Christ can fill our hearts with self-sacrificing love for all humankind. What would change if we all lived following His footsteps of service and love?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
