The Saturday Journal: A Mark on Us

Sep 26

4 min read

It was on a Monday--friends and family trickling in the sanctuary--many already filling the pews. We had come together--to grieve--to reminisce--and to celebrate a life well lived. The program read, "A Service of Worship to the Glory of God and to celebrate the life of...a man's life that my family had come to know and love.

This dear man--his co-worker and friend, his pastors, and his granddaughter spoke so eloquently--shared stories of conversations and laughter and what he meant to each of them--to others and their voices often stopped between sentences--catching their breath--pausing between words to wipe a tear. And my son and daughter-in-love and myself--we sat close--a smile would lighten our faces at times--other times we caught tears with our bare fingers.

One of the pastors, she shared a story about a visit she had with him at the Hospice home--the pastor, she wasn't having the best of days and our friend, he picked up on this and said to her, 'How are you?' And he reached over with his dying hand and placed it on hers.

And then she looked out over the congregation and said these words, "Love leaves a mark on us".

And I quickly reached for the church's pen on the back of the pew and wrote on our friend's program, "Love leaves a mark on us".

On occasion after we had one of our amazing school lunches--the ones where the lunch ladies would fill our trays with the best chicken pie, real mashed potatoes, a perfectly round Chocolate No-Bake Cookie and a yeast roll to die for--one of my classmates would fall asleep--after lunch. We had our bellies full, so it was understandable!

I remember this one time--I can still see it in my mind--in the third grade--one of my classmates fell asleep-his desktop and his arms were his pillow. Now my third grade teacher who was also one of my favorite teachers--Mrs. Rosalee Prevette--she read to us after lunch. And on this day, she stopped reading and walked over to my classmate's desk and clapped her hands, hard--next to the sleeping boy's head and she yelled, "Wake up!! Santa Claus is coming!!"

Let's just say, he woke up, along with others in the class who weren't paying attention!

Mrs. Prevette has been in heaven for many years now--and I can recall a story I heard at her Celebration of Life--her funeral service. Her pastor told the story of how Mrs. Prevette was in charge of the annual Lottie Moon Christmas offering. He described how she dressed up like Lottie Moon and told the missionary's story to the church and how giving to the Lottie Moon offering helped with overseas mission work.

And I could go on and tell you more stories about Mrs. Prevette.

Love leaves a mark on us.

I first met this young boy while working as a tutor at a local elementary school. The hem of his jeans--in shreds from dragging the ground--his belt wrapped around his waist at least two times and his worn shoes were always in need of tying.

He was in my reading group and one morning he walked into the classroom where myself and several other second graders had gathered. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small tangerine. 'I brought you something, Miss Miller. I got it off the shared table for you.'

And I had to look away as water leaked from my eyes.

It was a few years later and this young boy--he saw me at an event at the middle school. He was taller--tall as me and he came up to me and said, 'Hey Miss Miller, do you remember me?'

'I could never forget you. Look at you--you've grown two feet or more!'

Love leaves a mark on us.

"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God." (John 20:24-28)

Love leaves a mark on us.