Cross of Christ Lutheran Church

In Inez's Own Words

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Inez Abraham's funeral service was held on October 11 where our 99 year old icon of the Houston community was celebrated. Many stories were shared about Inez and how her faith influenced lives around her. Following is an article in Inez's own words about "Communicating with God" published in the Parish Visitor which was part of her legacy to Cross of Christ.

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Communicating with God… Am I In?

The story I am about to tell you is a real-life story, and I have permission to share it in the Parish Visitor.

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            My husband, Arlow, died suddenly forty-three years ago to enter his heavenly home where Jesus had promised to prepare a place for him. Our four children were ages ten to nineteen. It seemed natural for us to keep our memories of him ever-present in our conversations. “Dad would have enjoyed this experience,” one commented about an activity. 

Or, “It doesn’t seem right that Dad isn’t here to prepare our Thanksgiving turkey.” Or, “I miss his made-from-scratch pizza.”

Or, “He would blow a fuse over this happening,” one would say about an observed misdeed.

           When my first grandson joined our family, he grew increasingly aware of this family member, loved by the rest of us, but whom he had never seen and did not know. Then the questions started. He asked his mother, “Could you go to the cemetery to the ‘grave rock’ and talk to your daddy?” With childlike simplicity, he created his own descriptive word because he had not learned about monuments or markers. He described what he saw, and “grave rock” identified the place.

          Ann answered Craig, “Yes, I could go to the Stone Church cemetery, and I do talk to him, but he cannot answer because he is in Heaven.”

          He had more questions to ask. “Could you look at a picture of him and talk to your daddy?” He recognized that conversation is a necessary means to getting to know someone.

          Ann’s answer was similar to the first. “Yes, I can, Craig, but he cannot talk to me because he is with Jesus.” Ann wondered if those two questions had satisfied his needs.

          It had not; there was another probing query leading to the all-important question assuring him of a place in the family. It came with childlike earnestness, “Does he know about me?”

          Ann’s emotions were stirred by her son’s search for belonging. Her response, “Yes, Craig, he knows about you. I tell him about the good things in my life, and you are one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

            Parents, listen to your children. This story is an example of a teaching moment in a child’s faith life. Craig is a member of our family and a member of the family of Jesus Christ, claimed through baptism. It is wonderful that Pastor Carrier invites children to witness a Baptism during worship services. Clustered on the carpet near the baptismal font, the children look up to see the water being poured and to hear the spoken words of the Sacrament, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The Triune God has declared, “Dear child, I love you, and you are mine forever.” The children are watching and listening—a rich learning experience!

            During the time when Craig was searching for assurance of his place in our family, I was reminded of a similar child-to-parent question directed to me years earlier by his mother (my daughter). [Is there DNA at work here?] Ann was months away from graduating from high school and was coming to terms with leaving everything familiar—her home, her family, her school, her friends, her activities, her church, her town. She asked in a tone of urgency, “Mom, what shall I do with the rest of my life?” That was a big question, and I had no big reassuring answers for her.  Instead, I reminded her that in the four years since she was thirteen, she had changed and matured. “But, Mom,” she asserted, “I was just a kid then.” (Did she think at that time, age 13, that she would self-identify as a “kid”?)

           I continued in my attempt to address the changes that are a part of living and learning.  I said, “In four more years you will be 21, and you will be a more mature person than you are now.”

           Questions concerning life’s relationships and careers are not easily answered. We are children of God; His promise to love us, to be with us forever is the assurance we have to live confidently. Yes, we are “in”; we belong to Him. Life itself is a gift from God. Live well!

            Many of you have informed our prayer team of members and friends in need of prayer. Thank you for remembering to assist us in our prayer support. When you can, join us on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM in the Library / Lounge. Pick up the prayer list on the narthex table.

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PS   This add-on is not related to the focus of the PV article, but it is a fun insight into a child’s adaptation of words. Yes, it was the same young grandson, Craig, who created “grave rocks.” He expressed to his parents a wish to go out to eat. “Can we go to the Lord’s Pizza?” he asked. His mother said that she did not know where that place was located. “We’ve been there,” he said. “It’s in Winona, down by the river.” It was in his best interest to be helpful. His clues were key to determining the identity of the business. Ann said, “Oh, you mean Godfather’s Pizza.” He did. They went. They enjoyed the pizza—especially Craig!

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