When I started McKinstry Moments, the goal was for both my husband and I to have a place to record special events in our lives. However, up until today, I have been the sole author. That said, in honor of his Mom's first birthday since she passed in December, he was motivated to sit down at the computer and put together this post tonight.
At her funeral service, Dave was given the opportunity to speak and tell those in attendance who his mother was through his eyes. Many of you weren't there to hear that speech, but in remembrance he has posted the essence of it here. Hope you are blessed by it:
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Earlier this year I was listening on the radio to a Family Life Today program and the host was encouraging people to write tributes as a way for adult children to live out the 5th commandment to ‘honor your father and mother.’ I really liked the idea especially given the condition of my mom’s health, so I wrote tributes and had the opportunity during a visit home in May to share them with both of my parents. This is what I wrote to my mom:
Mom, we have always shared an interest in mathematics and an analytic mentality. When I was in Junior High, you taught me how to program so I could create a spaceship computer game. I remember you teaching me basic geometry to be able to calculate if the laser blasts or asteroids had impacted a ship. Beyond that I don’t remember too many times that you specifically taught me math despite you having taught it to so many others (it always came pretty easy for me in school, so I didn’t get much help from the math teacher at home). I have always figured that I mostly inherited that inclination toward math from you and Dad, but thinking about it now and reflecting on my interactions with my own young children, I can imagine all the things you taught me that I simply don’t remember. And I’m sure I learned to think analytically from you, probably largely from observing how you approached everyday situations. These skills have served me well as an engineer. I don’t make blocky 2-D spaceships that try to shoot each other anymore, but the steps of applying math and logic to problems that can actually pay the bills are largely the same.
Beyond all that you did teach me directly or indirectly, you always encouraged me, giving me confidence in a number of areas. I always knew I was loved and safe at home growing up. Our home was a place of extreme fairness. At Christmas time you made sure everyone had the same number of presents and that the dollar total was equal. You and Dad made sure both of your children knew they were loved and you never showed any favoritism. As a child, it just seemed like the obvious way to do things, but seeing what an issue it is in so many family, I appreciate your attention to detail and I now strive to follow your example.
You and Dad also gave me a great amount of freedom in expressing my preferences and learning to do things on my own. You let me pick out the carpet and paint color for my room, dark green for both. I don’t know if that was the best decision for the value of your house, but as I child I certainly appreciated having so much choice. I remember painting the bedroom walls being a joint family effort (though I’m sure I did less work than I thought I did), and painting is another useful skill that has been put to use several times in the years since. As I got older, you let me fix things around the house and drill holes in the floor to run TV and phone cables to my room even though I didn’t really know what I was doing. Thanks for sharing your house with me for experimentation and learning.
Finally, the most important things you have taught me were to place my faith in Jesus, to trust God and have a relationship with Him, to study the Bible, and to be committed to church involvement. You led me at six years of age to make a commitment of eternal significance, to follow Jesus and put my faith in his death and resurrection for my salvation from sin. I don’t remember many specifics, but I know that home is where I learned the importance of studying God word, the Bible. As I grew older I tried to evaluate my beliefs and on no truly significant issues have I found the need to disagree with what I learned growing up. This is a testament to the truth that was believed and taught in our home.
Thank you for everything you have done for me, from my childhood through the present. Thank you for the many sacrifices you made along the way and the great love you have always freely given to me. God was especially gracious to bless me with a mom as wonderful as you.
Whenever my mom taught a class, she would always tell her students that she was a Christian and if anyone wanted to know more about it, she would be happy to talk with them about it. So just as she explained to me as a young child and was eager to share with anyone who wanted to know, I’d like to share the Good News found in the Bible about Jesus with you today.
First, to understand the Good News, we must understand our condition before God. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and James 2:10 goes on to say that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Therefore even someone as loving and gentle as my mom still wasn’t perfect but God’s standard is perfection because He is perfect.
Where does that leave any of us if none of us can keep God’s law perfectly? Romans 6:23 says that “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When sin entered the world with Adam and Eve, physical death, pain, and sorrow came with it, which brings us to times like this. But even more so, sin leads to eternal death and on our own we are helpless to save ourselves from it. The second half of that verse brings us to the Good News. God offers us the free gift of salvation, which is freedom from the eternal punishment we deserve and instead we can have eternal life because of Jesus.
What was it that Jesus did to provide us with this undeserved gift? 1 Peter 2:24 referring to Jesus says “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Jesus, the Son of God, came down to the earth as a man, lived a perfect, sinless life, and willingly died on a cross, taking the penalty for the sins of all those who place their faith in Him.
How do we receive this amazing gift that Jesus has made available to us? Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” According to this verse, salvation is given to those who believe, or have faith, that Jesus’ death and resurrection has paid the price for their sins and make a commitment to make Jesus the Lord of their lives. Therefore it is only the work Jesus did on the cross that saves us, not any of our own good deeds, but Christians are called to make a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus.
We have all gathered here to honor my mom’s life and I know she would find nothing more honoring than for you to consider this Good News and to become a Christian yourself.
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