13 years ago today, Heaven welcomed Evelyn, a woman who was all about making Kingdom dents in this world as she passed through. She suffered with Chronic Progressive Multiple Scelerosis for 7 years, but in the few months I knew her, her only "complaint" was that at times her eyesight wasn't sufficient enough to read her Bible.
Shortly before her death, I spent a lot of time chatting with her, and listened to her longing to leave a lasting legacy. But I think one of the things I'll remember most about Evelyn was her front door.
Her front door? Isn't that kind of an odd thing to remember about someone?
Well, with MS, Evelyn had good days and bad days. And by the time I met her, a good day was one where she felt strong enough to be removed from the hospital bed that had taken up residence in her bedroom, and taken out to the living room to sit in her wheel chair. And on one of her "good days," she was out in her living room and took out a sharpie and wrote a blessing right onto her front door. Her handwriting wasn't quite as lovely as it had once been, but the words she wrote were beautiful:
"You will go our in JOY and be led forth in PEACE.
The mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord's renown,
for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed."
Isaiah 55:12-13
She wrote these words to be a covering and blessing over her husband, son and daughter every time they walked out the door. But her whole life was about praying over them, serving them, and loving them. What a legacy.
It made me think about the legacy I want to leave. Guess that will be my next post.
do you know that i asked gary for the door!
ReplyDeletewhen he was moving out of the house, he came up up to bass lake and visited prego me (with emilie), noah, and michael. i asked him if i could buy and replace that door. but he had already removed the writing in preparation for the new tenants.
i too LOVED that door!
i LOVED that she BLESSED and sent not only her family, but US out with that blessing.
when we built our house and graffitied it in the process i wrote that scripture above our door.
BUT someday i (i bet both of us) will have a front door, with a peep window, and that scripture will be found on it as a blessing for our children and all that walk through it.
I love and miss her.
thanks for this post.
I had forgotten all about that door. What a gift to remember it. Thanks so much, Thea.
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