My great-aunt, Louise, said she had "come home" at the end of December when she moved back to North Carolina after living most of her life in California. She was thrilled to be back in her home state, surrounded by an extended family that loved her deeply. We, as her family, were so happy that she and her daughter, Dianne, were back where they belong!
But truthfully, North Carolina isn't really her home, though it was, in my opinion, the next best thing. Today at around three in the afternoon, Aunt Louise went to her true home--to Heaven. When I received the phone call just moments after she passed, I couldn't help but think of the homecoming she was enjoying at that very moment. I believe my grandparents and her husband, my Uncle Alfred, were among the many who were greeting her at the gates. And knowing them like I do, there was sure to be plenty of laughter and lots of jokes, which I am guessing may be a little cleaner now that they are in Heaven. (It is from this side of the family that we have gotten our sassiness, I assure you.)
I will miss my Aunt Louise. Her relationship with the Lord, her wisdom, her joy, her knowledge of the Word, her incredible sense of humor, and her fieriness--I have treasured it all in my heart. Her legacy will live on in our family, especially with Bennett because she helped name him. Before he was born, she and I were sitting in my mother's kitchen. I told her that we felt his name was to be Bennett, which means "blessing or blessed one", and that we felt God had prompted us through many circumstances to give him this name. She heartily approved, and I told her that I needed to come up with a middle name. We discussed family names for awhile, and then I told her that Paul's middle name was Townsend and that he was named after his uncle, General Townsend, the city planner of Greensboro. (Who, incidentally, I just discovered is listed on NC State's famous alumni list. Crazy, huh?) She said, "Bennett Townsend. That's it! I love it. It's a strong name." Right there, Bennett was named, and I knew even then that I would always think of my Aunt Louise when I thought of Bennett's name.
I could tell a hundred stories about this woman and how she has impacted the lives of many--stories of how she ministered to people, how she counseled in her wisdom, how she forgave many hurts, and how she blessed so generously. But I will instead tell a funny story that I will probably still be laughing about when I am 95 years old.
When my Uncle Alfred had his first of several strokes, my mother was asking Aunt Louise about him and how it had affected him physically. My mom who asked, "Do men still want sex when they are that age?" And my Aunt Louise didn't miss a beat. In her dry, witty tone she replied, "Honey, it's the last thing to go." We all laughed, of course, but we knew she was telling the truth.
I am rejoicing tonight because I know where she is and Who she is with, and I know that we will be together again. I am so glad we know Jesus so that can happen! I really wonder what people who don't know Him feel like when they are facing death--either their own or the death of a loved one. What assurance do they cling to? Where is their promise? Where is their hope? Well, I know where mine is. It is in the Lord. I love the way the Apostle Paul put it in 1 Thessalonians:
"13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."
I'm comforted to know that our time apart is but a breath when you consider that you have eternity to be together. In the meantime, we will carry on her memory and her legacy in our lives. And as for her, I know that today she was comforted when she heard the words we spoke to her just a month ago as she settled into her new home here in North Carolina--only this time they came from the voices of Jesus, of His angels, and of those believers who preceded her in death.
Welcome home, Louise. Welcome home.
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