Tribute to Mary Meek--My Sister

I have not blogged in some time. Today I want to share with you the sermon I preached last week at my sister, Mary Meek's, memorial service in Florida.

October 22, 2011

We gather today as family and friends to celebrate the life of Mary Meek. Those of you who believe in God do not grieve “as those who have no hope.” Because we believe that Mary too
knew Jesus, and is with God in heaven because of that faith—that belief in Jesus Christ. Therefore, I expect to see my sister once again when my day of death comes.
Mary had a very full life for 76 years. Wife to Don, mother to James and Tina, grandmother to Jesse and Elizabeth. (Mary’s middle name was Elizabeth). She was the third child of the six of Cecil and Vesta White. I am her baby brother.

Mary worked at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC upon her graduation from college. She later worked for many years for Senator Hartke of Indiana. Then she and her husband, Jim, began a business, the Ad Agency, where she served on the business side. While later living in Hawaii, she helped begin a nursery in their home and worked for a lawyer. After Jim’s death, she married Don Meek, the doctor who delivered both of her children years before in Washington, DC. With Don, she lived a very full life of travel to such places as the Panama Canal as
well as other places in the US for doctor’s conventions. Don gave her the best care during the past 9 years of her fight with cancer. We all are grateful for him.

James (her son) called her Omni—interesting nickname for his Mom. As a teenager, he began calling her “OmniMom because of who she was and all the incredible things she did everyday. She always knew the right answers and the right things to do and say.” As he said, eventually he cut it to Omni and it stuck. He said, “She was as much as an earthly mother could ever know or do, my Omni.” Pretty good name, for omni means” all,” and Mary was “all” to so many. She was all wife, all mother, all friend, all poet and writer, professional. In her life, she seems to have done many things, and done them all quite well.

A few years ago, she got information about each member of the Bradley (my mother’s family) and compiled a book for a family reunion about each one—first and second generation. Lots of good family history there.

When I graduated from 8th grade, Mary worked for Senator Hartke, and she paid my way as a
reward to Washington, DC where she spent a week of vacation with me, showing me famous sites. Some places, like the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, where our money is printed, she had not been to before that herself. She treated me to concerts of Peter, Paul and Mary at Rock Creek Park, the musical “Oliver” at the National Theater, trips to Smithsonian, the Capitol, Washington’s home at Mt Vernon, and many other great places. What a great week to spend with my sister, and to learn of the history in our nation’s capitol! It was also my first airplane flight, flying alone. What an adventure, and Mary loved to have adventures.

Later after my kids were born, whenever Mary visited us, she would always bring “a little something.” That meant she had brought a little gift, generally not of much monetary value, but something thoughtful she thought would be liked. Certainly it was her way of expressing love to us—all of us. The last “little something” that she brought me was back in August when she brought a coffee mug with a picture of her and Don on it, and it said, “Enjoy coffee with Mary and Don.” It is one of the last pictures I have of my sister, and it is the one I will cherish the most as
I drink my coffee and remember my sister who loved me and who I loved back. Mary, thanks for the memories and the adventures and the “little somethings.”

When Mary lived in Washington, she went to church at National Presbyterian Church with senators and others. Since I was in ministry then, she gave me a book about love written by her pastor. I cherish that book because of who gave it to me.

Mary may have been Omni to her kids and to some here, but she knew the great Omni of all—God. One who is Omnipotent—all-powerful; One who is Omniscient—all-knowing; One who is Omnipresent—always present and available. That is why prayer is available to us—because God is all powerful to effect circumstances; all knowing and all caring for each one of us; and always present, therefore available whether we walk strongly through this world or walk “through the valley of the shadow of death,” as Mary did last Sunday, on her birthday.

I want to read some Scripture to remind us of the Omni-God today. Only He can give us comfort and strength to cope with the loss to us that Mary’s death brings. Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the
sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Mary went back to be with God Sunday when earthly death came upon her. She is in His presence now.

I am also reminded of Proverbs 31 when I think of Mary. “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” I believe Mary lived to bring “good, not harm, to all of us, all the days of her life.” She lived to serve us and help us. We are grateful for that and better for that.

I also am reminded of Revelation 14:13, which says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Many of us will continue to be blessed by the good deeds that she did toward us. And that is a legacy Mary leaves to family and friends whose lives she touched. We are better people because of Mary’s touch, and hopefully we too will pass along those good deeds to others as we live our life on earth.

I think Mary would point us to God today as we grieve and feel lost. We cannot talk to her and touch her and see her now. But we have many good memories and through a relationship with the Son of God, Jesus, we can be assured of heaven and get to see Mary again.

Many years ago, Robert Morris made this statement. It is a good reminder to us today. He said, “I hate funerals, and would not attend my own if it could be avoided, but it is well for every man to stop once in a while to think of what sort of a collection of mourners he is training for his final
event.”

Life on earth is short—76 years is not really a long time compared to eternity. My parents lived almost 92 and 100 years, but again, very short in comparison. But while there is time, you and I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those we touch. We have a chance to help people learn to live for the best and better things of life. We have a chance to reach out to God and help others reach out to God-- for His friendship, His help, His love. NOW is the time—we never know when our day will come to leave—but it will. We only have NOW to influence
others in right ways.

How is your life different because Mary Meek touched you? And how will others lives you touch be different because you touched them?

Thanks God for Mary. Thank you for touching us through her. And thank you for touching her, so that she is with you today. That gives me comfort and strength to go on. And that gives me a challenge to touch others for “good and not for evil”—that when my day comes, the mourners will be there who say, “He made a difference in my life.”

“Thanks be to God who gives us the victory over death through our Lord, Jesus Christ!”
Let’s pray.