Friendships and What Can Happen from It
While pondering over the friendships I have, of whom many I adore, I remember so vividly a friend of mine Jacqueline (Jackie or Judy) Davis. Jackie was a unique and wonderful person. She had been in my life ever since 1985. We met at church, then the Dill Avenue Church of Christ and now the Sandy Lane Church of Christ.
Whenever my husband and I wanted to get away for the weekend, she would take care of our kids. Jackie and her husband, Solomon, had two girls of their own but they would not hesitate to keep our kids. They did this off and on for over fifteen years. Some of those years, she would go away with them on church outings. She and two other ladies (Lynette Knight and Delores Johnson) were directors of the youth group. She would tell me that she didn’t mind being with our kids because she didn’t have a lot of problems in having to discipline them.
My friend passed away July 27, 2016, of a longtime illness. I was going to stay with her while her husband went to the doctor for some tests. She started to get sick and we had to call 911 and get her to the hospital. I went home while he went to the hospital with her. He called me a couple of hours later saying she had gone home to be with the Lord.
In memory of her, I read this poem at her memorial (one of many she wrote). I think you will enjoy reading it.
A Woman Who Loves the Lord
I am a woman who loves the Lord, because He’s been so good to me
He took my wasted years of life, and a Christian was I made to be.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, able to place Him first in my life
And from this love that my Lord and I share, I am now able to be a submissive wife.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, above any man, any treasure, any other
And the extension of the love the Lord and I share, make me a patient and disciplining mother.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, and I pray He is always my number one Love
So that when I depart this temporal home, my home is in heaven above.
The trials and tribulations become a joy to me, because it shows God’s love for me
By correcting and strengthening me so, I a perfect child of God can be.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, who am grateful for the love He gives me?
To make me more perfect in His way, and more of His glory I can see.
With my constant communication, through our telephone line of prayer
I am made to feel God’s love for me, to feel His love, understanding and care.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, I am so thankful my heart was touched
I am now full of love and hope and joy, because God cares and loves me so much.
I find joy in the word of the Lord, for it brings happiness to my heart
And a greater place with a more perfect love is where I hope someday to depart.
I, even I, am accepted as His child, all my past sins taken and washed away
And a permanent home with my brothers and sisters is what I strive for each day.
I am a woman who loves the Lord, above any treasure, above any man
And the strength and hope and courage He gives me, enables me to live and to know that I can.
——–Jacqueline Davis——
The fragrance of who Jackie was, shows in this poem. She lived this kind of life until the very end.
By Rita McCulloch
Rita McCulloch is a mid generation Boomer who saw change and turmoil happen all around her from a vantage point as a young African American woman growing up in Huntsville, Alabama. Yet her focus was on family, community, church and helping others. She began helping seniors with their personal and financial needs as a volunteer while raising her family. She then founded a business, Boomer3Solutions, through which she helps educate, organize, and prepare families for their golden age years and minimize the stress that can be related to caregiving. Rita brings to Boomer Connections a strong background in elder care concerns and the many decisions facing their Boomer family members.