Today is the first anniversary of my mother's passing.
Some of you in the Bible study have read the following page written in my journal dated May 27, 2007. However, since our name change from Woodmont Ladies Bible Study to Fore His Glory, the Lord reminded me of something else my mother shared with me about God and golf so I'm sharing another page of my journal dated May 11, 2004.
May 11, 2004
Journal
Mom was here for a visit and she & I talked this afternoon in our family room watching the golf pros play in a tournament. She started talking about golf on TV and about being spiritual. She said she doesn't think about golf without thinking about God, and she said, "He is in everything and it's very, very important to me. Whenever I'm playing I think about Him. It's not just about golf. It is of the utmost importance. I know I'm a lot older than you, Polly, but when God tells me to do something I say, 'Yes, I'll do it" and when He tells me not to do something I will not do it. He speaks to me and this is very important to me. I think this is right and I think it is Him talking to me. Sometimes when you children [I have 4 siblings] have problems I'll tell you to do what is right and then I'll go and pray and wait to see what God will do about it."
I told her that I thought it was right and good that she was doing that. She asked me if I think that way and I said, "Yes, He is everything to me and I try very hard to obey Him. It's important to me, too." She said she was so glad and had tears in her eyes. "That's good", she said, "that's very good."
When we looked at the Woodmont Ladies Bible study scrapbook I created she kept getting teary and finally said, "This so good that you are doing all of this. I just love it. This is such a good thing and, it's you! Keep it up!" -- Polly
May 27, 2007
Journal
When I was playing golf today with three friends, I started thinking about Mom and how she has given me such a wonderful legacy of loving life… and even teaching me to play golf at a very early age.
While I was on the course, I started to remember what she was like on my last trip to Coral Gables (FL)…she had to be bathed and dressed. Couldn’t go to the bathroom by herself…couldn’t walk alone and struggled to speak. She would shuffle to walk but it took two people to help her. BUT, she was still so pleasant and cordial and gracious and willing to do whatever was in front of her. She has always been that way…just accepting what she was given with thankfulness.
Growing up and even in my adulthood she always made everything in life an adventure; when we would be eating outdoors and she’d say, “We’re having a party!” Whatever it was, she made it special somehow; by her words and her attitude.
July 5, 2007
God is the only one who can heal my broken heart....and He's doing it. There has been great power that has come from the countless, fervent prayers of my sisters and brothers in Christ. Here's what I'm talking about: I used to cry every time I even thought about Mom, and I couldn't talk about her without my eyes watering, but now I can say out loud, "Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a cool mom!" I have lots of the most amazing and wonderful memories to bless and comfort my heart. I know she's with Jesus and some day I'm going to see her again!
Mary Elizabeth Gillette Brown
November 26, 1919 - July 5, 2007
Some of you in the Bible study have read the following page written in my journal dated May 27, 2007. However, since our name change from Woodmont Ladies Bible Study to Fore His Glory, the Lord reminded me of something else my mother shared with me about God and golf so I'm sharing another page of my journal dated May 11, 2004.
May 11, 2004
Journal
Mom was here for a visit and she & I talked this afternoon in our family room watching the golf pros play in a tournament. She started talking about golf on TV and about being spiritual. She said she doesn't think about golf without thinking about God, and she said, "He is in everything and it's very, very important to me. Whenever I'm playing I think about Him. It's not just about golf. It is of the utmost importance. I know I'm a lot older than you, Polly, but when God tells me to do something I say, 'Yes, I'll do it" and when He tells me not to do something I will not do it. He speaks to me and this is very important to me. I think this is right and I think it is Him talking to me. Sometimes when you children [I have 4 siblings] have problems I'll tell you to do what is right and then I'll go and pray and wait to see what God will do about it."
I told her that I thought it was right and good that she was doing that. She asked me if I think that way and I said, "Yes, He is everything to me and I try very hard to obey Him. It's important to me, too." She said she was so glad and had tears in her eyes. "That's good", she said, "that's very good."
When we looked at the Woodmont Ladies Bible study scrapbook I created she kept getting teary and finally said, "This so good that you are doing all of this. I just love it. This is such a good thing and, it's you! Keep it up!" -- Polly
May 27, 2007
Journal
When I was playing golf today with three friends, I started thinking about Mom and how she has given me such a wonderful legacy of loving life… and even teaching me to play golf at a very early age.
While I was on the course, I started to remember what she was like on my last trip to Coral Gables (FL)…she had to be bathed and dressed. Couldn’t go to the bathroom by herself…couldn’t walk alone and struggled to speak. She would shuffle to walk but it took two people to help her. BUT, she was still so pleasant and cordial and gracious and willing to do whatever was in front of her. She has always been that way…just accepting what she was given with thankfulness.
Growing up and even in my adulthood she always made everything in life an adventure; when we would be eating outdoors and she’d say, “We’re having a party!” Whatever it was, she made it special somehow; by her words and her attitude.
When we were living in Pennsylvania on the farm, she’d load up a picnic basket and then load us in the station wagon and we’d drive down a pasture road and then she’d stop by our creek. She’d start a fire and get out her huge black iron skillet and make us fried egg sandwiches. We were having another party! Mom saw life as an adventure and always wanted to make the most of every moment with a joyful, thankful attitude.
She even handled the ripple effects of her tragic divorce with so much grace: Dad walked out on her with no warning and leaving her with 5 children. She had the heartbreak of him leaving and she obviously loved him, and then she faced the relentless struggles of raising the five of us high-energy children. She didn’t complain about our dad leaving. She didn’t complain when she had to put food on the table (we had HUGE appetites). She loved us deeply and kept us all together. She made birthdays special. She made holidays special. We took trips to Florida. We rented large cabins in NC for the summer. We took regular beach trips and beachside vacations. We learned to play golf at young ages. We fished. We went boating. We had people over all the time for dinner.
One of her secrets is that she didn’t expect anything from anyone. She just gave from her generous heart. Everyone loved Mom and everyone in town knew her name: Mary Brown. She loved to entertain in our home and loved to dance and sing and loved to eat, especially ice cream! She had quite the gift of hospitality.
Another one of her secrets is that she did not care what people thought of her. She didn’t think about herself. She didn’t care if she got other people’s approval. That didn’t matter to her. She wasn’t impressed with nice things, even though that was the lifestyle she grew up in. She wasn’t a snob. She just wanted to love people and make them feel good.
She had faith in God. But she was very quiet about it. It was like: She simply BELIEVED. She made sure we all went to church, Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. We grew up going to church. A few years ago she told me she prayed for things and prayed for us (her children) and she then would leave it with God and not worry about it after she prayed.
But when I was playing golf today and thinking how calm she was when I last saw her and she just accepted what was going on: her body failing and not able to take care of herself, it made me think: ‘That is the kind of abandonment God desires of me (of all His children) to just hand over my life to HIM and trust and believe He WILL take care of me, He will take good care of me.’ That’s the way she lived. She lived an abundant life. God gave that to her. God did it.
And now He is showing me that I am living the life she wanted for me…she used to tell me, “You should be living in a country club and you and Don and the girls should be using the pool, and the girls should be having their friends come over to the club and play tennis, too, and you should use the golf course. You and Don should be going to the club for dinner. You should be playing golf again! I know you love to play and you do it well.”
A few years ago she came to visit us and stayed with us a few days. It was obvious she was beginning to get very sick and yet she said, clearly and succinctly, “This house is you, Polly. This is where you belong. What do you need? What can I do for you? What can I give you?” I said, “Nothing, Mom. I have everything I need.” She just sat beside me and hugged me. She was so happy to know I am doing Bible studies. She loved it. She loved it that I’m a writer, too. She acted so pleased to know what God is doing with my life. It is as if she prayed this all along! Maybe that’s what this is all about…maybe God is showing me I’m living the life she prayed for me all along and that’s why she’s so happy about it. --- Polly
She even handled the ripple effects of her tragic divorce with so much grace: Dad walked out on her with no warning and leaving her with 5 children. She had the heartbreak of him leaving and she obviously loved him, and then she faced the relentless struggles of raising the five of us high-energy children. She didn’t complain about our dad leaving. She didn’t complain when she had to put food on the table (we had HUGE appetites). She loved us deeply and kept us all together. She made birthdays special. She made holidays special. We took trips to Florida. We rented large cabins in NC for the summer. We took regular beach trips and beachside vacations. We learned to play golf at young ages. We fished. We went boating. We had people over all the time for dinner.
One of her secrets is that she didn’t expect anything from anyone. She just gave from her generous heart. Everyone loved Mom and everyone in town knew her name: Mary Brown. She loved to entertain in our home and loved to dance and sing and loved to eat, especially ice cream! She had quite the gift of hospitality.
Another one of her secrets is that she did not care what people thought of her. She didn’t think about herself. She didn’t care if she got other people’s approval. That didn’t matter to her. She wasn’t impressed with nice things, even though that was the lifestyle she grew up in. She wasn’t a snob. She just wanted to love people and make them feel good.
She had faith in God. But she was very quiet about it. It was like: She simply BELIEVED. She made sure we all went to church, Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. We grew up going to church. A few years ago she told me she prayed for things and prayed for us (her children) and she then would leave it with God and not worry about it after she prayed.
But when I was playing golf today and thinking how calm she was when I last saw her and she just accepted what was going on: her body failing and not able to take care of herself, it made me think: ‘That is the kind of abandonment God desires of me (of all His children) to just hand over my life to HIM and trust and believe He WILL take care of me, He will take good care of me.’ That’s the way she lived. She lived an abundant life. God gave that to her. God did it.
And now He is showing me that I am living the life she wanted for me…she used to tell me, “You should be living in a country club and you and Don and the girls should be using the pool, and the girls should be having their friends come over to the club and play tennis, too, and you should use the golf course. You and Don should be going to the club for dinner. You should be playing golf again! I know you love to play and you do it well.”
A few years ago she came to visit us and stayed with us a few days. It was obvious she was beginning to get very sick and yet she said, clearly and succinctly, “This house is you, Polly. This is where you belong. What do you need? What can I do for you? What can I give you?” I said, “Nothing, Mom. I have everything I need.” She just sat beside me and hugged me. She was so happy to know I am doing Bible studies. She loved it. She loved it that I’m a writer, too. She acted so pleased to know what God is doing with my life. It is as if she prayed this all along! Maybe that’s what this is all about…maybe God is showing me I’m living the life she prayed for me all along and that’s why she’s so happy about it. --- Polly
July 5, 2007
God is the only one who can heal my broken heart....and He's doing it. There has been great power that has come from the countless, fervent prayers of my sisters and brothers in Christ. Here's what I'm talking about: I used to cry every time I even thought about Mom, and I couldn't talk about her without my eyes watering, but now I can say out loud, "Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a cool mom!" I have lots of the most amazing and wonderful memories to bless and comfort my heart. I know she's with Jesus and some day I'm going to see her again!
--Polly
"The Lord is my light...."
Psalm 27:1
----Polly
2 comments:
"Fore His Glory" is the Truth alright,Well said Polly & thank you. My Mom lived life to the fullest and beyond. I am Julie, Polly's younger sister (the last of 5) We have wonderful memories of our Mother and I so look forward to seeing her in heaven.
Polly, thank you so much for sharing! Wow, your Mama would be lovin this. From your description you definately picked up so many of her finest qualities. So glad to know you friend and so blessed by your willingness to keep pouring out into others.
Love you Sister,
Tammy
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