Proverbs 31:29 Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. (ESV)
My mother-in-law passed away last Friday night. She did not have a flamboyant personality and yet anyone who would meet her would probably not forget her. Words like kind, gracious, joyful, caring are the most common of her first impressions. As one got to know her better words like godly, faithful, prayer warrior, servant, and even bible student and scholar. Funny there does not seem to be anything negative.
When we had the visitation before the funeral, folks who knew her (family,church members, neighbors, childhood friends, etc...) were saying the above descriptions over and over again. Laverne Cooper did not always have an easy life. WWII and the depression were especially hard the Tennessee south. But whether good times or bad you could alway count on her faith in the Lord and His Word.
Before the funeral I had chance to talk to the preacher, Charles Pratt. I told him that I envied him because this is the type of funeral that every preacher dreams of doing. The opportunity to proclaim a life that loved and honored God, and the hope of seeing that saint in Heaven again.
There are three thing that we who knew Mrs. Cooper could all agree with:
1) That she was a woman who loved God with all her soul, mind, and strength, loved her neighbor as herself. Both evidence of true salvation.
2) That no matter how long you knew her, you were in some way influenced by her for God.
3) That you are going to miss her. And that is a good thing both in never forgetting her and in seeing her again in Heaven.
