Remembering My Mother, The Evangelist: Remembering Mom-Coping with Loss
- Lori Joy
- Jul 17, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 23, 2024
The Legacy of a Mother Whose Goal Was to Serve, to be Faithful to God, and to lead as many people to Christ as she could.
(Note: This writing is about remembering mom-coping with loss... and is a slightly modified version of the Eulogy that I wrote for my Mother's funeral where I shared of her life's story to honour her memory.)
When I was a kid I never contemplated that my mom would one day pass away... and if ever the topic of death would come up, SHE would even say, “I’m going to live until Jesus comes back and collects me up in the Rapture. I will simply just go on from life, to a better life.”
It was convenient for me, I suppose, to hope that my mom's words would be true. As a kid, I did not want to contemplate the possibility of a life without her in it. But when you get older and you witness your mom’s health slowly deteriorating over the years; and, you also find your own health beginning to deteriorate, as it does for all of us... most of us do start to contemplate our mortality.
My mom however was the exception. For many years, I never quite understood if it was a case of her being in denial of her mortality, or if she was just trying to maintain a positive confession... knowing she believed that her tongue’s confession would somehow influence her life.
I know that some may think me silly; but, I believe my mother's constant refusal to accept that she would ever die, and her insistence that she would just be taken up in the rapture DID have an impact on how she left this world. While the end of her time on this earth was indeed not the result of the second coming of Christ and the associated Rapture that we read of in the Bible... but her life’s end mercifully came so suddenly. She did not suffer for weeks in hospital like my dad, and my Grandpa did. The Lord mercifully called her Spirit to come home to heaven almost in an instant... and occurring just after midnight as she was getting ready to settle into bed for a good night’s sleep. I think it was for my family's sake that she lingered just long enough for the ambulance to take her so that WE would have some comfort in knowing that we did all we could to help her in her final moments. I still would have prefered if she could still be with us, but I am thankful for this one thing... if it was God's time to call her home and she had to go... then at least she quite mercifully went quickly into the arms of our Lord.
In the days following her passing it was so difficult to believe that she was no longer with us. It was so unexpected... we were so unprepared for such loss. But I know my Mom believed in Jesus, and in His salvation and grace. Knowing she was now in heaven with our Saviour, and knowing that when my time on this earth is done that I would be with her again in heaven... this knowledge at that time were my only comforts.
“My Mother lived much of her life trying to share the Gospel of Jesus with others”
Her Evangelistic Years
My mother had lived much of her adult life trying to share the Gospel of Jesus with others. Even spending 5 years of her life during the 1970's intentionally homeless and on the road, sleeping in our car while travelling around the Southern California Formula Ford & Formula 1 racing circuit with my step dad, ministering the Gospel of Jesus to anyone at the race tracks who would listen. These were mom’s happiest days as she felt she was doing a good service for her Lord Jesus, fulfilling the Great Commission. In 1980 the step-dad left my mom for another woman and my mom went on to work for a few years at a little company in Burbank, California called "Heavenly Productions" which made Christian themed silk screened designs on T shirts. There my mom used her artistic gifting to aid in designing and silk screening various Christian logos and slogans on T-shirts; as well as assisting with bookkeeping/secretarial duties. This job was also a great joy to my mom in that season of her life and she used a greater part of her income there to pay for my participation in the sport of Competitive Ice Dance which God used for my own spiritual growth and healing for that time. (But that's a story for another time.) Mom saw it as a new "ministry" opportunity to share about Jesus and encourage others at the skating rink, and praying for anyone who were in need of prayer.
In 1983 my mom and I left California and moved to Canada to be nearer to her family. Landing first in Calgary where we would spend a month with one on my mom's sisters; and then moving on to Regina, Saskatchewan where my mom would work at two different Christian Homes for troubled Young Adults (age 16 to 25). Mom enjoyed being the Den Mother to all those young Men and Women, giving them motherly love and encouragement to grow by. But this was just a short stop in God's plan, and in the spring of 1984, God moved us to Thunder Bay, Ontario where my mom was born and raised.
During most of these years Mom worked as the receptionist/manager of a motel in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Even though my Mom would of much preferred to still be on the road travelling about ministering the Gospel, she very much took the expression "Bloom and grow where you are planted" to heart. At that motel she had the opportunity to share her faith with many a weary traveller over the years; and, when needed she would reach out with Love and Compassion when circumstances arose that found some travellers very much in need of help. Mom didn’t like to see anyone struggle in this life. If she knew someone was struggling in some way she would indeed pray for them; and if possible, she would help in any other way she could, and to the greatest extent she could.
An Inspiring Role Model
Having such a role model in my life was indeed an inspiration. My mom was courageous... she never held back in fear. She always moved forward with a boldness and confidence that never wavered. She knew what God had called her to do and she was determined to walk in obedience to His call no matter what. It did not matter to her if anyone said she could not do this or that, or if they said you are not "qualified," or if they said it was "impossible". My mom knew that with God "ALL things ARE possible" for those who serve the Lord. She knew that God would equip her... she need only obey His will and follow His call. All she wanted when her life was done, when she faced her maker was that the Lord would say to her, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Her motivation and goal was simply to be a good and faithful servant of God, and in that service she hoped that people would come to know and accept Jesus as Saviour.
My mom set a good example of being a modern day missionary and prayer warrior. Wherever she was, whether in her travels, or in a restaurant as she ate dinner, or at her job... if someone was willing to listen to her share about Jesus, she shared... And if anyone wanted prayer, she prayed for them. She was not anyone notable or famous, nor did she ever seek fame or notoriety. She was just simply a humble servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, who throughout her life strived to be faithful to Jesus' command in Mark 16:15 - "He (Jesus) said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
My mom was a good and Godly woman, but of course she was not perfect... none of us are. Even my Mom throughout her life humbly admitted that even she fell short of God's glory. We each have all the frailties of our humanity, and we ever struggle against our imperfect natures. But God's ability to use us for His glory is not dependant upon our perfection... Thank God. The Lord uses us as we are, where we are, and how we are. All we need to do is submit to His will, and be obedient to His will... as well as to read and study His Word and grow in it in order to prepare and strengthen ourselves. My mom did, and it resulted in at least 15 people giving their lives to Jesus that I know of... and very likely those numbers are way higher than I am aware. And of those whom I know of which she lead to Christ, two of those people also became ordained ministers who went out to preach the gospel and save even more souls. God only knows the sum total of how many people are redeemed today all because this one feisty little lady (my mom) who chose to seek God's will for her life, and who set out to obediently do it, sharing the Gospel and Love of Jesus wherever she went.
I hope my mother's story will inspire you and encourage you to seek the Lord's will for your life. And to be willing to actively do God's will in all things. May these scriptures that follow encourage you as it did my mom...
She lived by these words...
"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13
"For with God nothing shall be impossible." - Luke 1:37
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