Thursday, June 18, 2015

funeral and memorial service for Elisabeth Elliot

The funeral for my mother will be on Tuesday the 23rd of June at 10:30 in the  A. J. Gordon chapel at Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Rd, in Wenham, Massachusetts.  There will also be visitation on Monday night  at 6-8:30  at the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester.  More visitation on Monday at 9 AM at Gordon, before the funeral. 

We are holding a memorial service on July 26th in Wheaton, Ill. Stay posted for details- it will be in the afternoon, but time and place are still not decided. The public is invited to both. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Elisabeth Elliot, my dear mother

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” by Jim Elliot, whose whole name was Phillip James Elliot

My father lived out this quote of his, and my mother loved him for his absolute commitment to the Kingdom, and courage to do whatever it would take to glorify Him. My mother has now gone on to see Jesus Christ, face to face, and I am so grateful that she has been freed from the chains of this earthly life. In her last 10 years, with dementia, she was peaceful and I saw that serenity most when we sang hymns to her. It used to be that when she and I would sing together, she would point out special lines that meant a great deal to her, and it would give me more appreciation for each one. I would say some of her favorites were:
 Beneath the Cross of Jesus
 Guide me O, Thou great Jehovah
 For all the Saints
 Jesus the Very Thought of Thee
 Jesus keep me Near the Cross
 Jesus Thou Joy of loving Heart
 Tallis's cannon- Glory to Thee, my God, this night
 Praise my soul the King of Heaven which was sung at her second two weddings
 Trust and Obey
 Praise the Savior ye who Know Him
 I cannot Tell, why He whom angels worship
 My Faith has Found a resting place
 The Lord's my Shepherd
 At Even, ere the Sun was Set
 And Can it be

 She knew hundreds and I'm so glad she sang them to me throughout my childhood, especially right before going to sleep. She taught me to pray to our Father, always starting her prayers with "Dear Father." I learned trust and contentment at her side. I learned that God's will was the most important thing to pursue in life. I learned to laugh and enjoy funny, fascinating, and fortifying stories. Several of them were about Gladys Aylward, the "small woman of China." She had heard her speak once and could imitate her perfectly. One of the stories was about her leading a group of children through forest and a mountainous terrain, which had bandits, and singing to them, "I will not be afraid, I will not be afraid, I will look upward, and travel onward, and NOT be afraid!" One of the main themes of her training of me was based on Jesus's teaching of Luke 16:10- "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." I remember that verse almost daily in my routines.

 As the weeks go by, and I think of her teaching and love, I will share more. I'm looking forward to honoring her at the memorial service in July. It will be announced on her website- Elisabethelliot.org and on Face Book.