Leaving behind a legacy

Bob’s mother passed away this morning. She was 97 years old. I had to tell him the sad news. I went back and told him it was time to get up, opened his curtains and let the light in his room. He got up, helped me make his bed, and sat in his chair with his coffee.

“Pop, I got a phone call from Kentucky this morning,” I said.
“Oh? Was it bad news?” He asked.
“Well, MaMaw passed away this morning around three o’clock. She went in her sleep, and Dave, Lois and Lesa were all with her.” I told him.

He sat in silence. I let him sit for a few moments taking in what I had just told him. No matter how old you are, you never want to hear the words that the one who brought you into this world and loved you unconditionally has passed away.

After awhile I filled him in on details how she went peacefully in her sleep, and the funeral would be fast. I then suggested he call some friends and family to let them know.

I could tell you some funny storied about Bob’s Mother. I could tell you how she made the best snicker doodle cookies and was famous for her pecan pie. I could tell you stories about how Lesa, her granddaughter would find her asleep in her chair with her open Bible across her lap and under the Bible was an open romance novel.

I could tell you how her brother would visit and she would insist that there was orange juice in the house because her brother loved orange juice, but the rest of the family knew the orange juice was spiked. She outlived all of her siblings and she was the eldest of them all.

But the one thing in my opinion that this woman leaves behind is her legacy of faith. She was a woman of great faith. When ever MaMaw came to visit things got cleaned up. It wasn’t just about taking the vacuum out and dusting off the furniture. It went beyond the house; people would start cleaning their own lives out. Language was cleaned up, dress was more conservative, and things you ate and drank were even changed.

How could one small woman have such an impact on such a large group of people? It was her faith in God that mattered. She had such a faith that could never be altered. You could never convince MaMaw that beer was actually good for you in moderation. She would never believe you because the scriptures taught in Ephesians 5:18 “be not drunk in wine”. You couldn’t budge her faith in God’s word.

Because of her strong faith, people would change around her. They acted better, dressed better, and talked better. Her faith reached beyond her small world and influenced other lives. It was her faith in Jesus Christ being the son of God that took her through her daily walk in this world. When she was able to get around, you knew that every Sunday she could be found at the Baptist church because her faith told her to worship.

I am happy to tell you that she died this morning in faith. What a legacy she has left us all with. At the age of 97 she carried her faith with her and there is no doubt that she is right now in the presence of her blessed Lord. Margaret Chipley influence more people than she will ever know. The mere knowledge of her coming visit had an impact on people’s lives. And that impact did not stay within the family circle. If you had someone visit the home while she was there, you would warn them ahead of time to clean up their act.

We need more Margaret Chipley’s in the world. We will miss her dearly; I hope that you all think of her often and remember her faith.