A Legacy of Love
May 2, 2008
I feel so very blessed to have grown up in a loving home, surrounded by a family who cared for me in so many ways. I feel “extra blessed” when I think of the family that I received when Wayland and I were married and how they have accepted me as one of their own. I am so honored to not only have witnessed, but also experienced the love poured out among part of Wayland’s extended family. Wayland’s precious 90 year old paternal grandmother – mother of six, grandmother of fifteen, and great-grandmother of many, is known affectionately as the matriarch of the Thompson clan. She has suffered some health complications this past week and her physical body seems to be tiring. This family is an amazing bunch, unlike any I have ever been around. The closeness between Great-Gran and her children; the closeness between the siblings; the awe and respect of the grandchildren toward their grandmother; the wonder in the eyes of her great-grandchildren… it is all a beautiful sight to behold. The family has gathered around her to speak their love or simply hold the hand of their hero. They are listening as she recalls her lifetime of memories and shares her precious words of wisdom. For sometime I have marveled at the legacy Iris Thompson (Granny/Great-Gran) is leaving her family. Her very personal and intimate relationship with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been the forefront of her life. It is evident that He has been her constant companion through heartache, loss, and tragedy, and that through Him, she has emerged stronger. She has lived out her love for her God and her family with consistency and unselfish devotion. She has penned words and letters that belong in books to be cherished by many. She has sown into the lives of her children and her extended family, and she is now reaping a harvest that, I’m sure, she can hardly contain.
A beauty, pure and timeless
Our flower, precious Iris.
The treasure that you leave us,
One of hope, and love, and trust.
Acts of kindness, loving prayers
Words we cherish, full of care.
Your life - the greatest blessing,
Your legacy is love.
I prayed that the Lord would give me the words to express what was in my heart today as I was praying for this situation. This is what we came up with. I’ll end with the words to the song we sing as a family after the blessing of our meal. (You can’t imagine the impact this had on me when I heard the Thompson clan sing this while Wayland and I were dating – I knew then I was in for something good.)
With Jesus in the home it’s a happy, happy home. A happy, happy home. A happy, happy home. With Jesus in the home it’s a happy, happy home. A happy, happy home.
Kaleesha,
Thank you so much for putting into words the affection and love we have for our Granny. You couldn’t have said it better.
Rachel
What a blessing to your family Iris is! A godly mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother is a treasure and you all are certainly blessed to have someone of her caliber leading your family. When she goes home to her Jesus, I sense that God will be calling some of you other precious Thompson ladies to take up where she left off. Fear not; God has equipped you for the task and will continue to do so. You have more to offer than you may think.
I am so thankful to have been a part of this very precious lady’s life. She has been all that you have expressed and more. She has been to me a shinning light of forgiveness that I haven’t been able to see in many people in my lifetime. I once had left what was good and right for my life and choose a life full of sin then at the right moment through the prayer of many, my life was given a repreave by The One we all serve…He gave me the gift of repentance and a chance to restore what I had left behind. I was really concerned that my husband’s grandmother and mother wouldn’t forgive me or would be really withdrawn from me but that wasn’t so…they both took me in their arms with great love and have never looked back. I am so very thankful for this because I was shown in more than one way what true love is through this very special lady and her daughter. I absolutely love them and am thankful they have taught me what LOVE is…I could only touch the tip of what she has been to her family if even that much. I hope that through all of this we all can look to The Lord of Our Life and Pray that He is Glorified in and through us.
Let’s pray those that don’t know him personally will come to know him and they will have the zeal that she has had towards Christ since she was 19 years old.