A week has passed since my Mom went to meet her Savior. I had the privilege of sharing some memories at the funeral and would like to share them with you as well.
My Aunt Linda Berry described Mama as "loving, caring, sweet and funny." She truly was all of these. She also loved to sing. She was blessed with a beautiful soprano voice and she enjoyed singing in the church choir and ensembles, and also performed solo. Several who had sung with her in church, blessing us with beautiful music that honored the Lord, were present at the funeral.
Mama also loved to sing at family gatherings. She came from a musically talented family and I have fond memories of impromptu sing-alongs when all the Mitchells were around. We would gather around the piano, and they would bring out their guitars. It was a blast to just listen to them sing old hymns and gospel songs!
Mama loved little children. She taught 2 and 3 year-olds in Sunday school for most of her life, and enjoyed telling stories about the funny things they would say. My wife, Cheri, also recalls how she loved her little grandchildren and was always ready to get on the floor and play with them. She had a tender place in her heart for little children.
Mama also had the gift of hospitality. She always kept the house clean and ready for guests at anytime. We frequently had guests in our house ... missionaries, traveling music ensembles, exchange students, and friends and family. It seemed the more people we had, the more she enjoyed it. She had a way of making everyone feel welcome!
She was also a gracious guest. Cheri recalls a time when Mom and Dad came to visit us in Georgia when our first son, Austin, was a baby. We were driving home from Sunday evening church and Cheri realized she had not prepared anything for dinner. She felt embarrassed to mention it, but when she did, Mama cheerfully said, "You know what sounds good to me? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" And that is what we had for dinner that night.
Mama was also a great cook! I remember scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings before church, and roast beef, mashed potatoes, and biscuits and gravy for Sunday dinner with chocolate pudding cake for dessert. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!
Mama loved to laugh and to make others laugh. She sometimes disrupted choir practice with her jokes and pranks. I remember watching people in the choir stifling their laughter during the church service because of something she had said or done.
One of her favorite stories recently was when she went for a check-up after receiving a bovine heart valve transplant. When the doctor began to listen with his stethoscope, she started mooing like a cow. She told that story to us over and over because it pleased her that she made her doctor laugh! She kept her sense of humor even when she was in the ICU in her last days. A nurse was untangling a mass of cords near her bed, and Mama looked at her and said, "Are you gonna tie me up?"
Mama made our home a happy place and she taught us to love Jesus. As i made the drive from Atlanta to Memphis last week, I thought about one of the songs she used to sing as a solo in church.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace!”
We miss her already, but we are comforted knowing that she is forever in the presence of our Savior. Rest in peace, Mama. We will see you again one day!