Shared by Tom Horst at his mother's memorial
service on January 20, 2013
Dearest Mother:
Where does one begin to thank you in a
few minutes for all you have meant to me
and to Thelma and our sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren? There are a few
highlights I'd like to share out of many I could choose from.
First of all, thanks for being a
wonderful Mother to me. I have already said to Dad how much I appreciate how he
loved you and provided a stable, loving environment in which to grow as
children. Thank you for loving Dad and providing a good model to follow in our
marriage. I always remember you supporting Dad and having a unified front when
it came to family matters. I felt loved by you, even in the times when we dis-agreed.
I also recall you and Dad travelling together to Costa Rica to visit Nancy and
me when we were there in Voluntary Service. Thanks for the letters you wrote
while I was away those 2 + years. I felt affirmed by you in the choices I made,
especially when I chose to marry Thelma and then to enter the ministry. It also meant a lot when you and Dad moved to
Mississippi back in the late '80s, so that you could be close to Nancy and
Spencer and Thelma and me and our children, and also serve the Mennonite churches
in the Gulf States area.
That's something I remember about you,
too. You were always ready to make the most of opportunities to touch people's
lives on a deep level. As I read over sympathy cards with Dad the other night,
that came through strongly in what people wrote. Mom, there are souls in the
kingdom of heaven today, because of your influence...what an eternal treasure!
I know you can see all those people now that you helped and ministered to over
the years.
But getting back to your role as our
Mother...as I have thought of all you've done over the years, I think of a
verse in Mark 14, where a woman came an anointed Jesus with expensive perfume
and people were indignant about it, saying this was a waste of money. Jesus
said in her defense: "Leave her alone...she has done a beautiful thing to
me...she did what she could." I think these words typify your life,
Mother. You did what you could as a wife and mother. Were you perfect? No. But
you did your best as a woman of faith and as our Mother. You did your best and
to me, your best was what we needed and it was certainly enough.
There were some things that you did
the best in, hands down! I don't think anyone could have done better: like
baking bread, making pumpkin and shoofly pies, taking care of my clothes ( I
can still see you darning my socks), canning and freezing, keeping flower beds,
and providing good advice. I remember one time when I came to you, experiencing
emotional stress and anxiety over a decision I had to make. I said to you,
"What if the decision I make isn't the right one?" And you said to
me, "Son, don't be so afraid of making a mistake. Just move ahead, trust
God and he will guide you."
You also did your best as a woman in
the places you found yourself: as a pastor's wife in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and
then as a bishop's wife in the 70s and 80s. You were always supportive of Dad,
even in a day when your support meant some sacrifices for you...in how you
dressed, in how much you could let your voice be heard in a day when women's
voices were not heard, in the time Dad gave to ministry opportunities which
took him away from you and the family and in the opportunities that were
available to you as a woman with many gifts. Some of those gifts certainly had
to placed on the back burner. I personally think you would have made an
excellent school teacher! I wonder what that was like for you...you never
really talked about that, but I wonder what you were thinking and feeling
inside. Thank you for your sacrifice.
So thanks, Mom, for investing your life
in me as your son, and in the lives of my sisters and our families. A
significant part of who and what I am today, as a follower of Jesus Christ, as
a husband and father, and in my role in the people-helping profession, is
because of your influence on my life. Having you as my Mother was/is truly a
priceless treasure.
Lovingly,
Your Son,
Tom
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