:: aunt maggie ::

Sometimes, there just really aren’t words to describe how much you love a person.  And it is difficult to write about such a sensitive topic.  That is the way I feel about the lady pictured above.  Her name is “Aunt Maggie.”   Really, she is my Mom’s own aunt, and my Great-aunt, and my Grandmother’s sister.  But, the formality of relative name-calling was shot out the window a long time ago when she and I developed a unique friendship back in the beginning of my high-school years.  

You see, Aunt Maggie and I are both writers.  We both have the passion and drive, but she has more of the talent.  So, when I finished up my papers in high-school, I would send them to Aunt Maggie for her to edit and comment upon.  She always had such great feedback for me.  She never just sliced and diced my comma errors, or paragraphs, or mis-spelling.  She figured out what I wanted to say and helped me find beautiful ways to transfer those words to my readers.  But, it was never really about me.  I just liked to pick her brain to see what SHE was writing.  In fact, Aunt Maggie tried to pursue authorship of a book about five years ago.  Although it was never published, I believe that Aunt Maggie is truly a great writer, and certainly worthy of the Author status.   Someday, I hope that perhaps my own book can be published in honor of her.

I would ask you to pray for Aunt Maggie.  She has been battling cancer for the past two years, and sadly, is dying.  When I went to see her this past Saturday, she could barely get a few words out.  She was trying to hard to communicate things to my Grandma and me, but she simply couldn’t.  This, of course, only made her more frustrated.  When you are a Communicator, it’s pretty difficult not to be able to express yourself verbally.  Anyways, I sat with her, talked to her, stroked her arm, helped her with her drink, and watered her plants.  At one point, she started crying because she was just so weary and sad.  She said the words, “peace and quiet.”  She was trying to say that she wanted to go home to have peace and quiet.  I took that opportunity to encourage her with the words of Job, from Job 19:23-27:

23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth. [2]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in [3] my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!”

With tears streaming down my eyes, I said, “Aunt Maggie, you know, Jesus can give you the peace and the quiet you long for…tomorrow is Easter, which means that He rose from the dead, and conquered sin and death forever by rising from the dead!  You CAN have peace and quiet, if you place your trust in Him as Your Redeemer.  Though you might leave your earthly body, you will SEE God in your new heavenly body.”

Although she could not really respond, I know she was intently listening.  I had to leave shortly thereafter, and although I’m not sure if I will ever see Aunt Maggie again, I am so grateful for our quiet Saturday hour together.  She is a brave, peaceful soul, and I will never forget the impact that she has had on my life.  It’s only a matter of time now, so please pray for our family as we walk through this grieving process.