Vol. 17 No. 14 | April 7, 2014
Just saying the name awakens an abundance of memories. Since moving to Brunswick, Georgia in 1986 Myrleen, and Bobby, have been names used by my family to describe two people who represented the very essence of love, encouragement, generosity, and respect. Just a little over ten years ago I was honored to conduct Bobby’s funeral service, and this week I will do the same for Myrleen.
Myrleen and Bobby were members of the church where I preached. For all those in our little church Myrleen was known for her kindness, her thoughtfulness, and her desire to make sure all things were done with efficiency, excellence, and style. She could have easily been compared to the woman of Acts 9 described as, “always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36), and the woman in Mark 14 who “did what she could” (14:1-9).
That was Myrleen. She was always doing good and helping someone. She did what she could to help lady who cleaned her house. She did what she could to help lady who ironed Bobby’s shirts. She did what she could to help the young couple at church. She did what she could to help to widows. She did what she could to help anyone she came in contact with who needed help.
She loved her family. Her sons and her daughter and her grandchildren were the lights of her life. When they needed her, she was there. When they needed help, she was ready to help. She could be tough when she needed to be, but there was never a doubt that she loved.
She loved flowers…especially Daylilies. She loved having them in the house. She loved having them on the table. She loved seeing them grow around her house. And she loved sharing them with her friends.
She loved and she was loved. She loved her church family and was loved by her church family. She loved the people with whom she worked and was loved by people with whom she worked. She loved her old friends and was loved by her old friends. She loved her new friends and was love by her new friends just as much. Part of the reason she loved so much was because had experienced so much love. Part of the reason she was loved so much is because the people she loved knew the love was genuine and real.
For these many years God has blessed our family by allowing Myrleen to fill the role of substitute Grandmother to our children, and a surrogate mother to me.
She knew the Lord loved and she wanted to please Him more than anything else. Because of her strong work ethic she sometimes wondered if she had done enough to please Him and to get into heaven. When she left her frail and weary earthly body early Saturday morning there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord welcomed her into His presence and assured her that she had done what she could to help people in need and that it is now time to enjoy the reward of her labors.
Thank You Lord, for allowing Myrleen to fill a tremendously important void in my life and for letting me love and be loved by her. Rest well, Myrleen, enjoy to fruit of your good life. You will be missed and will never forget that you loved me.
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2014. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.