One Perfect Rose

         In Loving Memory of Mary Vandalee Lewallen-Morgan        April 1, 1922-January 17, 1992

The Rose Beyond the Wall

A rose once grew where all could see,
Sheltered beside a garden wall,
And, as the days passed swiftly by,
It spread its branches, straight and tall...
One day, a beam of light shone through
A crevice that had opened wide ~
The rose bent gently toward its warmth
Then passed beyond to the other side...
Now, you, who deeply feel its loss,
Be comforted; the Rose blooms there ~
Its beauty even greater now,
Nurtured by God's own loving care.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We received this verse in a card from our Aunt Elma shortly after Arvil's mom passed away. It soothed our aching hearts a bit to be reminded that she is a Perfect Rose now!

There Are No Words

There are no words ...what can I say?
At last her sweet soul winged its way,
To peace and freedom in the sky;
Where never again will she suffer or cry.

It's all part of God's great plan ...
Which remains a mystery to man;
We cannot understand His ways,
Nor can we count our earthly days.

But who are we to question and doubt?
God knoweth well what He's about;
He knew she longed to "go to sleep"
Where only angels, a vigil keep.

The pain of living grew too great.
No longer could she stay and wait;
She did not want to leave you, Dear,
But she had finished her work down here.

So she closed her eyes and when she awoke,
These are the words the Master spoke,
"Welcome, dear child, you are Home at last,
And now the burden of living is past."

"There's work for you in My Kingdom, Dear,
And you are needed and wanted here."
So weep not, she has just gone on ahead,
Don't think of her as being dead.

She's out of sight for a little while,
And you'll miss her touch and her little smile,
But you know she is safe in the home above
Where there is nothing but Peace and Love.

And, surely, you would not deny her peace ...
And you're glad that she has found release.
Think of her there as a soul that is free,
And Home at last, where she wanted to be.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

I miss my mother-in-law very much. I thank God for the time that I got to know her. She used to call me on the telephone just about every day. Jeannie was carrying our first grandson when she died. She loved and  cherished all her grandchildren and  great-grandchildren. She was so looking forward to the birth of our first grandchild, always asking how Jeannie was doing. How she would have loved him! I believe that she is smiling down on all of her  grandchildren now and telling everyone she sees all about them! :o) Here is a poem I found after she died. I sure wish I could have had the chance to have given it to her.

You are the mother I received
The day I wed your son.
And I just want to thank you, Mom,
For all the things you've done.
You have given me a gracious man
With whom I share my life.
You are his loving mother,
And I, his lucky wife.
You used to pat his little head,
And now I hold his hand.
You raised in love a little boy,
Then gave to me a man.

Page Created June 20, 2000