Today we are having a memorial service for our
mother Gertrude Michaud - the mother of 6 children, 15 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren,
and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
In regard to the grace that comes from our mothers,
the Bible says children go through four stages of mother’s grace falling on
them.
First,
knitting stage
Psalms 139:13 reads, “For you created my inmost
being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”
Notice two words: create and knit. Creation is
different from knitting.
Creation is to cause something or someone to come
into being out of nothing.
knitting refers to making something or someone
out of something or someone; it stands for making a fabric or garment by
intertwining yard or thread in a series of connected loops.
God created your inmost being. Inmost being
refers to your spiritual being. This spiritual being features the image of God
built within you. This inner being came directly from God. This being refers to
the spiritual you. So each of us here carries God's spiritual finger prints.
God knitted you in your mother's womb. Here this
'you' refers to the physical you. The Bible calls our body a 'garment'. God did
the knitting this body in mother's womb.
God knit Bunny Michaud Phillip Michaud, and all 6
children in the womb of Gertrude Michaud. As I see her children, I recognize
her daughters are beautiful her sons are all handsome.
The Bible (Isaiah 53:2b) says Jesus had no beauty
or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should
desire him. I think Jesus was not physically attractive primarily because Mary
his mother was not that much attractive. But look at Gertrude! Isn’t she
beautiful?
Aside from the physical beauty remember the labor
pain she had to undergo. After 280 days of pregnancy she went through the labor
to give birth to her children.
So we are all thankful to the Lord for our
mothers to allow us to come into being.
Second,
nursing stage
1 Thessalonians 2:7 reads, "But we were
gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children."
I met Gertrude and had time to have fellowship
with her while she was in Long Beach. And I could see that she is a gentle
woman. She carried a gentle smile. She talked to me softly and tenderly. I
could imagine how she could take care of her children, softly and tenderly.
I had a fellowship with Philip, Brian, Roger, and
Tim. Philip was kind in talking to me about the air-conditioning, especially
how the air duct works. I think his tenderness came from Gertrude.
I also remember Brian. He is a hardworking yet a
gently caring plumber. He came and fixed plumbing problems at my house and at
my church. And he worked tirelessly. And his hard working spirit came from his
caring spirit, and he inherited his hardworking spirit from his mother
And we thank God for providing us with a
sacrificial mother Gertrude.
Third,
weaning stage
Psalms 131:2 says, "But I have stilled and
quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my
soul within me."
Here 'weaned child' refers to the grownups.
Thanks to the mother's care they now know how to take care of themselves. So
they are no longer crybabies.
This means we the grownups owe our mother for the
stillness and quietness of our soul.
For this reason it has been said, "The
guests of wedding ceremony are primarily parents and their relatives, whereas
the guests of the funeral service are primarily their children." And as we
keep this memorial service, we thank God for our mothers who bore us so we would
no longer be crybabies. May the Lord help us to remember this mother's grace so
we too would take good care of the children with grace.
Fourth,
wake up stage
John 11:11 says, “After he had said this, he went
on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going
there to wake him up."”
Now Gertrude is interned at the same location
where Maurice already rests.
Maurice was the foundation of her family’s spiritual
connection with God. She inspired the family to attend the Sunday worship
regularly. She at times led family Bible readings at home. She practiced prayer
on a regular basis. And now as our Lord Jesus said, like Lazarus Gertrude has
fallen asleep.
Our physical departure from this world is not the
end. It looks forward to the hope of resurrection to come.
In regard to Lazarus who had fallen asleep, Jesus
said, "I am going there to wake him up." This miracle is the preview
of the call to come for in John 5:28 it is written: "Do not be amazed at
this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his
voice.” Jesus further says in John 6:39-40, " And this is the will of him
who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them
up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son
and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day."
So there is a wakeup call to come. Then we all
who put trust in Jesus shall meet again with great joy.
Prayer: Our heavenly Father, thank you for
sending your one and only Son Jesus as our Lord Jesus. Thank you for your
loving care through the Mother Gertrude for us gathered here. In Jesus' name
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