Yesterday my siblings, Dad and I had the privilege of laying next to my precious mom, Glenda as she passed from this life into eternity on the most beautifully bright first day of February. She was ready, I think – she didn’t suffer, she didn’t linger. I laid my head there on her lap and sang the lullabies I sing to my babies and I told her what a good job she did. I wanted her to hear our voices and to know that we were surrounding her, loving her, walking with her as far as we could until we could let Jesus walk her the rest of the way.

The Scripture verses of Proverbs 31 came immediately to my mind: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

We are tremendously sad for our loss. And what a loss it is. Nobody I’ve ever met had as big of a heart as my mom. She would literally give you the shirt off her back and would make sure your fridge was stocked to the hilt with all the best things. She would probably be the best example in my life of the concept of “I am third.” God first, others second, self third. Except she wouldn’t even have wanted to be third. She would have wanted to be 11,308. To suggest that Mom was servant hearted is too much of an underwhelming description. There are countless examples of my precious Mom.

I cannot imagine my life moving forward without her, and yet here we are. Life moves on. I praise God my babies had the privilege of knowing her, being loved by her. I praise God that He saw fit to put me into their family, placed into my Mom’s empty arms by adoption when she was 43 and with teenaged kids. I praise God for the ten thousand myriad ways she influenced me, some conscious and some unconscious. As I survey all the photos, all the trips we took together, I’m reminded that memories and experiences are what truly lasts and I am so so grateful.

We have tremendous hope even in our loss. I am so grateful that Mom loved Jesus passionately and that she taught all who knew her about His love. I know our separation right now is temporary; what a hope we have in Him to be reunited one day. And I’m so glad that she’s there right now with her own mama and daddy, and her baby she’s waited so long to hold.

Services for my mom will be on Monday at 1pm in Oklahoma City.