Matt Tidmore - Remember My Mom and The Savior, Jesus Christ, She Lived For
I know it’s not common for a son to stand up and speak at his mother’s funeral but there was nothing common about my mom and I’m here to do what she would want me to do.
Neither of us really cared a lot for the traditional things people do after someone dies and I’m not here to mourn or boo-hoo or talk about death. I want to remember my Mom and the Savior Jesus Christ she lived her life for. If this doesn’t seem like a typical funeral or memorial service then I’ve done what she would have wanted me to do.
She was not even 5-feet tall and barely 100 pounds. She was probably 100 pounds if you include the heavy coat she had to wear to stay warm in my cold house. She was the runt of the litter. The world looked at her and saw a small quiet, fragile woman. I feel sorry for anyone who only looked at her through their physical eyes. They missed out.
For you see God looked down on her and was struck with the same notion as when he looked down on David. David was the smallest of Jesse’s 7 sons and a little Shepard boy who appeared to be nothing special.
The world saw a Shepard boy and God saw a King. David was far from perfect but in him God found a great king and a man whose lineage would birth God’s son, Jesus Christ. The world saw a cashier at a dry cleaners, the world saw a woman whose little frame could be knocked over by a gust of wind but not God. God goes deeper he looks into the spirit. In Mom he saw a humble heart, a prayerful spirit, and belief that stood 10-feet tall and would not be shaken by the strongest storms of life.
These things are what carry on even after she is physically gone. No man would have seen here and chosen her for a battle but God would put Mom on the frontlines any day.
As I look upon three crosses that stood atop the hill at Calvary that Jesus left when his life on Earth was done. My mind goes to the three grandchildren Mom so deeply loved and left when her life on Earth was done.
For each cross and for each of her grandchildren I give them a trait Mom exhibited during her life that each would carry on as she has taught them.
1. Alysa- (Freedom) Grandmother wants to tell you that in John 8:36 it says he who the Son has set free is free indeed. Nothing in this world can keep you from being free to accomplish all the desires of your heart. If anyone ever tells you that you can’t do something because you are small, or because you are a girl or because you have to take medicine for an illness. You tell them that Jesus has set you free and your Grandmother has laid down the foundation for your life to be victorious and no one can take that away from you.
Isaiah 40:28-31
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to the one who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the young shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lordshall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
2. Kyle- (Forgiveness) Grandmother never held a grudge. There was no bitterness in her. It says in Eph 4:26 In your anger do not sin, Do not let the Sun go down while you are still angry. Anger is natural and people are imperfect and hurt each other. Your feeling will get hurt and people will disappoint you. When that happens look to Grandmother’s example.
Deal with your feelings, forgive those who have wronged you and when the Sun goes down rest your head in peace knowing you have done just what Jesus and Grandmother would want you to do. These verses reflect how she would want us all to live.
Colossians 3:12-14
12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
3. Olivia- (Faith) Grandmother was a woman of immeasurable faith. She truly believed nothing was too difficult for God. Her faith defined who she was and it was the one thing that sustained her regardless of what challenges she was facing or triumphs she was rejoicing in. Galatians 2:20 says that I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live be FAITH in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Grandmother’s faith influenced and strengthened others to no longer live but allow Christ to live in them. Her faith told her that she was here on Earth to serve God and when she was finished with his work here then she would be called to her eternal home and begin to serve him there in Heaven.
Olivia, embrace the word, let it strengthen your faith and share it with others. Reflect the faith of your Grandmother. Never sorta believe, never kind believe, with every fiber of your being believe 100 percent that it is by faith that you have been saved and that all people can be saved.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
No one gets to decide when they are born and their race begins and no one gets to decide when their race ends. Some people need 80 years to accomplish the mission in life God has for them. My mom squeezed all of God’s work into 54 ½ years of life. I’m thankful for the 30 years I was allowed to spend with her and though you may not understand why, Monday, my 30 birthday, was not one of my worst birthdays, it was my best birthday ever.
My mom planned on living many more years and she never saw her sickness coming but when it was her time, God had decided and no one could stop him. It doesn’t matter what she or anyone else did.
Now is not the time to ask, why?, now is the time to ask yourself, Am I ready?
When God calls you home, there is no stopping it and I know my Mom is now feeling a happiness and freedom that is not even known on this Earth. She lived each day like it might have been her last until it was.
God allowed her to be on vacation from work the last week of her life and spend that time with her Grandchildren. When her final hours came all of her family was able to gather around her and give her a farewell. It was not time for me to say ‘goodbye’ just ‘see ya again soon’.
As my mom lay in that bed I told her everything that I could have ever wanted to tell her. As I spoke in her left ear I was able to usher her into Heaven as her spirit, her soul, the part of her that everyone loved most was called up into the beautiful presence of Almighty God. She left behind the physical body she knew here on Earth. It stopped living but my mom for the first time ever found out what eternal life felt like.
She was prepared and as much as she loved those she left behind she has now gone to the place she belongs. She wants you to be ready. She wants you to be prepared too. Anyone who is here can see her again. Jesus died for all our sins. He died for mom and he died for you. You can have the freedom, forgiveness and faith my mom had. She found them all at the foot of the cross.
Don’t think about whether or not you are worthy or deserving of Heaven. None of us are and God does not require us to be. You don’t have to be in a pew or in a church or with a preacher to accept Jesus as your personal Savior.
All I know is that Mom didn’t have time to think about dying before it happened and you could be anywhere at anytime when God says your race has been run. Don’t wait till then. Don’t wait for anything. Right now where you are sitting you can make your life right with God. All he is asking is that you come just as you.
Neither of us really cared a lot for the traditional things people do after someone dies and I’m not here to mourn or boo-hoo or talk about death. I want to remember my Mom and the Savior Jesus Christ she lived her life for. If this doesn’t seem like a typical funeral or memorial service then I’ve done what she would have wanted me to do.
She was not even 5-feet tall and barely 100 pounds. She was probably 100 pounds if you include the heavy coat she had to wear to stay warm in my cold house. She was the runt of the litter. The world looked at her and saw a small quiet, fragile woman. I feel sorry for anyone who only looked at her through their physical eyes. They missed out.
For you see God looked down on her and was struck with the same notion as when he looked down on David. David was the smallest of Jesse’s 7 sons and a little Shepard boy who appeared to be nothing special.
The world saw a Shepard boy and God saw a King. David was far from perfect but in him God found a great king and a man whose lineage would birth God’s son, Jesus Christ. The world saw a cashier at a dry cleaners, the world saw a woman whose little frame could be knocked over by a gust of wind but not God. God goes deeper he looks into the spirit. In Mom he saw a humble heart, a prayerful spirit, and belief that stood 10-feet tall and would not be shaken by the strongest storms of life.
These things are what carry on even after she is physically gone. No man would have seen here and chosen her for a battle but God would put Mom on the frontlines any day.
As I look upon three crosses that stood atop the hill at Calvary that Jesus left when his life on Earth was done. My mind goes to the three grandchildren Mom so deeply loved and left when her life on Earth was done.
For each cross and for each of her grandchildren I give them a trait Mom exhibited during her life that each would carry on as she has taught them.
1. Alysa- (Freedom) Grandmother wants to tell you that in John 8:36 it says he who the Son has set free is free indeed. Nothing in this world can keep you from being free to accomplish all the desires of your heart. If anyone ever tells you that you can’t do something because you are small, or because you are a girl or because you have to take medicine for an illness. You tell them that Jesus has set you free and your Grandmother has laid down the foundation for your life to be victorious and no one can take that away from you.
Isaiah 40:28-31
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to the one who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the young shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lordshall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
2. Kyle- (Forgiveness) Grandmother never held a grudge. There was no bitterness in her. It says in Eph 4:26 In your anger do not sin, Do not let the Sun go down while you are still angry. Anger is natural and people are imperfect and hurt each other. Your feeling will get hurt and people will disappoint you. When that happens look to Grandmother’s example.
Deal with your feelings, forgive those who have wronged you and when the Sun goes down rest your head in peace knowing you have done just what Jesus and Grandmother would want you to do. These verses reflect how she would want us all to live.
Colossians 3:12-14
12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
3. Olivia- (Faith) Grandmother was a woman of immeasurable faith. She truly believed nothing was too difficult for God. Her faith defined who she was and it was the one thing that sustained her regardless of what challenges she was facing or triumphs she was rejoicing in. Galatians 2:20 says that I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live be FAITH in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Grandmother’s faith influenced and strengthened others to no longer live but allow Christ to live in them. Her faith told her that she was here on Earth to serve God and when she was finished with his work here then she would be called to her eternal home and begin to serve him there in Heaven.
Olivia, embrace the word, let it strengthen your faith and share it with others. Reflect the faith of your Grandmother. Never sorta believe, never kind believe, with every fiber of your being believe 100 percent that it is by faith that you have been saved and that all people can be saved.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
No one gets to decide when they are born and their race begins and no one gets to decide when their race ends. Some people need 80 years to accomplish the mission in life God has for them. My mom squeezed all of God’s work into 54 ½ years of life. I’m thankful for the 30 years I was allowed to spend with her and though you may not understand why, Monday, my 30 birthday, was not one of my worst birthdays, it was my best birthday ever.
My mom planned on living many more years and she never saw her sickness coming but when it was her time, God had decided and no one could stop him. It doesn’t matter what she or anyone else did.
Now is not the time to ask, why?, now is the time to ask yourself, Am I ready?
When God calls you home, there is no stopping it and I know my Mom is now feeling a happiness and freedom that is not even known on this Earth. She lived each day like it might have been her last until it was.
God allowed her to be on vacation from work the last week of her life and spend that time with her Grandchildren. When her final hours came all of her family was able to gather around her and give her a farewell. It was not time for me to say ‘goodbye’ just ‘see ya again soon’.
As my mom lay in that bed I told her everything that I could have ever wanted to tell her. As I spoke in her left ear I was able to usher her into Heaven as her spirit, her soul, the part of her that everyone loved most was called up into the beautiful presence of Almighty God. She left behind the physical body she knew here on Earth. It stopped living but my mom for the first time ever found out what eternal life felt like.
She was prepared and as much as she loved those she left behind she has now gone to the place she belongs. She wants you to be ready. She wants you to be prepared too. Anyone who is here can see her again. Jesus died for all our sins. He died for mom and he died for you. You can have the freedom, forgiveness and faith my mom had. She found them all at the foot of the cross.
Don’t think about whether or not you are worthy or deserving of Heaven. None of us are and God does not require us to be. You don’t have to be in a pew or in a church or with a preacher to accept Jesus as your personal Savior.
All I know is that Mom didn’t have time to think about dying before it happened and you could be anywhere at anytime when God says your race has been run. Don’t wait till then. Don’t wait for anything. Right now where you are sitting you can make your life right with God. All he is asking is that you come just as you.
posted by Matt and Traci | 1:54 PM
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