I was paying bills on Saturday, the usual post-Christmas batch: mortgage, Macy's, Kohl's, Union 76...
but the most important debt I paid was a spaghetti dinner that my son, Andrew, and I made to take over to Bob Cross and his extended family.
The Apostle Paul admonishes us, in Romans 13:8 to "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." (New International Version)
It was our privilege to take dinner to the Cross family on the day of Dorla Cross's passing from this life into eternal life. Family was gathering at Bob and Dorla's house late in the day to prepare for her funeral and burial. Steve and I pulled our wagon full of spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and lemon cake over to their house (we live close-by) and were greeted by family members who thought we were members of another religion, coming to their house to convert them with our wagon full of literature!
After we all had a good laugh at our mistaken identity, we sat with the grieving family, remembering the wonderful life that Dorla lived.
Bob and Dorla opened their home to so many college students in their days of hosting church events that, daughter Cindy estimated, there were more than 100 house keys floating around in student's pockets, purses and backpacks.
"If anyone had broken into my parents' house and the police had asked who had access to the house, the list would have included more than 100 people!" she laughed.
That's how Bob and Dorla lived life. They lived to serve others, to be generous and to give many, many others an example to follow.
Although we did not have the privilege of knowing Bob and Dorla in their "Big Hospitality" days, we have received countless hugs, back pats and words of encouragement from them in the 10 years we have been part of the College Church of Christ family. We owe them a debt of love that we can only attempt to repay by continuing to build on the foundation they helped to lay, a foundation for a church that is hospitable, loving, accepting, forgiving, generous and encouraging. May we keep working, in the spirit of Dorla Cross, to pay the debt of love we owe!
--Posted by Mama O.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
"Say Goodnight Gracie"
The old line from George Burns' comedy show--"Say goodnight Gracie!" It comes in handy when we have to say "Goodnight" for now to someone as wonderful as Gracie Sanchez. We can do it with the sense of humor she so readily displayed and with the light-hearted fun she brought to life.
I looked up the Webster's Dictionary definition of "grace". There are a number of definitions, of course, because the word encompasses a lot of meaning. But here is just a bit:
"the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful--Synonyms see mercy"
That certainly defines the Gracie I knew and loved these last seven years that she attended College Church of Christ and became "mi hermana en Jesus Christo"--my sister in Jesus Christ!
I first got acquainted with Gracie on a missions trip to Mexico. She was our translator as we taught Children's Bible School and worked at the local church. It is Gracie's smile that I can't get out of my head. It was a smile that understood the situation, overlooked the difficulties, saw the potential for good and brought everyone else along for the exciting ride of faith! Gracie's smile wasn't just happy, although it was that. It was faith-filled and hope-spreading.
I only knew Gracie after her eyesight was severely limited. She was legally blind. But she didn't express her visual impairment as a liability so much as simply a fact, something to be reckoned with like today's weather. She was here, in the moment, ready to work, ready to love, and always ready to teach! Gracie was a very, very intelligent woman. I knew this from listening to her explain things to me, like the Spanish language, God's mysterious ways, heaven, her love for God's people. She had a way of making complex issues seem simple to understand.
I'm a bit of a nerd, myself, I am happiest when I am learning something new. My car radio is most often tuned to sermons on Christian radio or news on National Public Radio. So, to find a friend like Gracie, who was willing to teach me new things, was a tremendous find! I am forever grateful for the time I spent with Gracie and it is with a sense of love, friendship and fun, like two girlfriends at a pajama party, that I say, "Goodnight Gracie, I'll see you in the morning of heaven's glorious sunrise! And we'll keep right on learning things together throughout eternity!"
--Posted by Mama O.
I looked up the Webster's Dictionary definition of "grace". There are a number of definitions, of course, because the word encompasses a lot of meaning. But here is just a bit:
"the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful--Synonyms see mercy"
That certainly defines the Gracie I knew and loved these last seven years that she attended College Church of Christ and became "mi hermana en Jesus Christo"--my sister in Jesus Christ!
I first got acquainted with Gracie on a missions trip to Mexico. She was our translator as we taught Children's Bible School and worked at the local church. It is Gracie's smile that I can't get out of my head. It was a smile that understood the situation, overlooked the difficulties, saw the potential for good and brought everyone else along for the exciting ride of faith! Gracie's smile wasn't just happy, although it was that. It was faith-filled and hope-spreading.
I only knew Gracie after her eyesight was severely limited. She was legally blind. But she didn't express her visual impairment as a liability so much as simply a fact, something to be reckoned with like today's weather. She was here, in the moment, ready to work, ready to love, and always ready to teach! Gracie was a very, very intelligent woman. I knew this from listening to her explain things to me, like the Spanish language, God's mysterious ways, heaven, her love for God's people. She had a way of making complex issues seem simple to understand.
I'm a bit of a nerd, myself, I am happiest when I am learning something new. My car radio is most often tuned to sermons on Christian radio or news on National Public Radio. So, to find a friend like Gracie, who was willing to teach me new things, was a tremendous find! I am forever grateful for the time I spent with Gracie and it is with a sense of love, friendship and fun, like two girlfriends at a pajama party, that I say, "Goodnight Gracie, I'll see you in the morning of heaven's glorious sunrise! And we'll keep right on learning things together throughout eternity!"
--Posted by Mama O.
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