REFLECTIONS
November 26, 2006
 
 
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
John 1:16
 
 
Gift of Aunt Jennie
 
One of my prayers is that everyone would have an Aunt Jennie in their lives. To us Aunt Jennie was someone very dear, always standing by to help when needed and always helping in her unique and quiet way. She had a sternness about her for smiles did not come easily, but she is a jewel in the tapestry of my life, and that is why I pray that God would bless every life with someone like Aunt Jennie.
She was my grandmother’s older sister and closest friend. Her real name was Janie, but I guess Munna could not pronounce a long “a” so her name was Jennie to all of us. She never married. Her life was dedicated to teaching second graders and she taught them for almost 50 years.
Besides being a teacher Aunt Jennie was also a dedicated student. She was always looking for new things to teach, and she kept current on matters she was teaching to assure that her instruction was correct. Aunt Jennie was not really a sports fan, but she needed to know the rules of some of the games so she could oversee playground activities with proper authority. I remember clearly how she studied baseball, noting the significance of a hitter turning to the right instead of the left after reaching first base.
Aunt Jennie was also a student of the Bible. I have no idea how many times she read through the Bible in her lifetime, but I do know that my brother has one of her Bibles where she recorded the number of times she read that one. The final record says, “Read this Bible through forty-two times.” And that was but one of the Bibles she used.
Thanksgiving is a time I remember Aunt Jennie most often. She made the best pumpkin pie and from fresh pumpkins. Now I am no chef, but I know that that is a chore most would not tackle. But she made them as a gift. It was a gift I will always remember.
She gave us all many other gifts too, more than we will ever know. She was the unacclaimed person behind the scenes giving support to everyone around. I am told she had a lot to do with funding my education but I didn’t hear about it from her. We were her family and she loved and supported us even though she stayed in the background so as not to interfere. But even in the background, she was always there when needed.
From the fullness of God’s grace I have received one blessing after another. The gift of Aunt Jennie is one of them. And for that blessing I offer God my grateful praise.
 
“You are the light of the world.”
Richard Ì
 


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