Words of remembrance: A life well lived, walking in faith
The altar at St. Theodore’s the morning of mom’s funeral
The Words of Remembrance for my mother’s funeral were intended to be a brief reflection of her walk of faith. Rather than a eulogy, her church asked us to provide examples of her Christian faith at work in her life, which we accomplished in three sections.
“Everyday Grace” shared by Vanessa — Thank you, all, for being here today to honor our mother. We love you all, and so did she. Our mother was a beautiful person, inside and out. Extremely generous with her time and her love. She may have not talked much about her faith—but she lived it. You could feel it in her presence, in how she listened, how she gave, how she made people feel seen. She carried God quietly in her heart, and it showed in her patience, her laughter, her love for her friends and family. Her life was full of grace, not in grand gestures, but in everyday moments—the kind that stay with you forever.
“Heart for Hospitality” shared by Luca — Our mother’s preparedness for hospitality was the embodiment of that grace. Her door was truly always open. She always welcomed a party and had a gift for hosting and making everyone comfortable. I can appreciate now that she always made extra food “in case someone stopped by.” And they did! They did because she valued the company of her loved ones, no one was ever a burden to her. She was open and willing to spend time with people, over a cup of coffee, for a consultation or an impromptu visit. She welcomed people into her home because she felt this was a way to extend kindness and show she cared.
“Faithful servant” shared by Tanya — Vanessa and Luca are absolutely right, our mother did treat her customers like family. She brought them into her home, prioritized quality and value for them, always. She served her community in so many ways, especially through St. Theo’s groups and initiatives, the 100 Year committee, St. Theo’s Closet, among others. And of course, faithfully served her loved ones.
So I prayed a great deal about what more to share with you today, because all of these things are true. She was graceful, she was kind. But when St. Theodore asked us to focus these Words on her faith, I also thought about whether mom would’ve wanted to be acknowledged in this way? She wouldn’t have seen her helpfulness or hospitality as a service–she just did what she believed was right and what she felt called to do.
Following a calling when you believe it’s right is blind faith. But following a calling when you believe it’s right and have seen it modeled…not so blind. I believe she first served because God served us. He *serves* us. He fed the hungry, he healed the sick, he washed feet. But even today, He pursues us, He provides for us. He teaches us how to be faithful servants.
The Lord enables us to be generous, compassionate, nurturing, and giving because God was first that way with us. It’s His handiwork, his handprints, his image, his breath that allowed our mother to live that love and grace and caring as fully as she did.
It’s also by His grace that she had the tenacity and strength to endure her cancer journey and ultimately, face death. Her faith encouraged her that because Jesus walked that road and conquered it, there was hope ahead of her.
I encourage you all today, by that same spirit, to look for God in your loved ones. Look for His example, His grace, His mercy, His service in the way He works through your friendships, your children, your parents. Yes, faith is a deeply personal relationship with Lord, it’s also sharpening our lens to realize that it’s by faith all things are fulfilled. Our mother’s life well lived is an example of walking in faith, surrendering her fears to the Lord, knowing that He *first* loved us.