A Balanced Life
The wise mama trains each of her children to live a balanced life.
She decides to live a balanced life herself, too. It’s no small feat and requires constant adjustments. Jesus gave us the key to balance when He answered a lawyer’s question about the great commandment in the Law of Moses. Jesus told him:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the great and foremost commandment.
The second is like it,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.Â
On these two commandments
depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:37-40
When Geraldine wrote her tribute to her sister Jo, she described a woman who lived that balance with grace, beauty, and joy. Here’s how she did it.
Living a Christian life was the focus of Jo’s existence. She had the wisdom and understanding of this life by embracing each day no matter what she was faced with, whether it was sorrow and pain in the loss of a son, a grandson, father, mother, sisters, brother, and friends — or the laughter and love of a small child or friend.
She served her God as a Sunday School teacher, bringing young children to Wednesday Bible study, preparing meals for shut-ins, and taking grandchildren and friends to church camp. For twenty-plus years she worked in food preparation in the kitchen at camp. She made friendships there that have lasted through the years.
She never missed Sunday morning or Wednesday night church services. Even when on trips, she always had a service with friends and family.
Jo loved to GO. Even when Jo was a little girl, she always wanted to go with Daddy. He would tell everyone that Jo was set on GO!
Do you know anyone who loved to play games, tell a good story, and have fun as much as Ma Jo! She was always ready to play with her grandchildren and to entertain friends and family. Her home was always open and you felt the warmth of her love as you entered. She had “gone that extra mile,” creating special decorations and food just for the occasion.
You can be sure that any special holiday or anyone’s birthday would find Ma Jo planning a get-together. Ma Jo has hosted hundreds of birthday parties for friends and family members. The crowning jewel was her twelve-foot Christmas tree that she and Gary would put up just after Thanksgiving. And it would stay up till the first of February. It was totally decorated with white Christmas ornaments that she collected with the help of her friends. She loved entertaining family members and friends during the holiday season. She loved Christmas!
Our friend Jo knew how to live this very moment — not the past ones and not the future ones, just this one. She lived those moments abundantly and filled them with love for God and love for others.
One of Jesus’ purposes was to give us abundant life. Abundant life — that is exactly what we want for our children. It comes only from One place. It ‘s a gift from Jesus.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly.
John 10:10