The family gathered for a...
Illustration
Object:
The family gathered for a reunion. As children and grandchildren gathered around her,
Barbara shared that this year, had her mother lived, she would have turned 100 years old.
Her mother died almost thirty years ago. She shared aspects of her mother's life that the
younger members of the family had never known. Barbara's mother did not have much
schooling; she completed what would have been the fourth grade before she began
working in a factory to help support her family. She began working so her brother could
stay in school; this was just one of many sacrifices she made for her family during her
lifetime.
At one point, she was separated from her brother, living with an aunt in the country. Life was hard for Barbara. She never experienced many of the things associated with childhood. She never had many toys. One Christmas, her father made a doll out of corncobs, and she sewed together a dress out of scrap cloth. She was in her sixties before she ever rode on a bicycle.
As was the custom of the day, Barbara married young and started a family of her own. Her children were just toddlers when her husband was killed in an accident at work. Economic conditions forced them to move in with another relative in another town. Barbara worked long hours to keep her children fed.
What struck the family as they listened was how Barbara's faith sustained her through terrible years. Amazingly, she always kept a positive attitude and never complained about her situation. Early in the morning, Barbara would pause to read her Bible and pray.
A prayer of thanksgiving is said for those who have gone before us, whose examples of faith sustain us through trying times. The family that gathered to remember their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother gained a new faith perspective, knowing that Barbara's love for God sustained her throughout her life.
At one point, she was separated from her brother, living with an aunt in the country. Life was hard for Barbara. She never experienced many of the things associated with childhood. She never had many toys. One Christmas, her father made a doll out of corncobs, and she sewed together a dress out of scrap cloth. She was in her sixties before she ever rode on a bicycle.
As was the custom of the day, Barbara married young and started a family of her own. Her children were just toddlers when her husband was killed in an accident at work. Economic conditions forced them to move in with another relative in another town. Barbara worked long hours to keep her children fed.
What struck the family as they listened was how Barbara's faith sustained her through terrible years. Amazingly, she always kept a positive attitude and never complained about her situation. Early in the morning, Barbara would pause to read her Bible and pray.
A prayer of thanksgiving is said for those who have gone before us, whose examples of faith sustain us through trying times. The family that gathered to remember their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother gained a new faith perspective, knowing that Barbara's love for God sustained her throughout her life.
