Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV
It may seem strange to use this passage of Scripture to begin writing about a loved one who has departed, but everyone whose life has been touched by my Grandmother, Ruby Tinsley can Proclaim with the Psalmist; “Bless the Lord, O my soul for the Benefit of having Ruby Tinsley as a part of our Life!
Ruby Tinsley was born in 1925. In her 84 years, she was a daughter, sister, devoted wife and widow twice over, she was a mother of five of her own and five step-children through her second marriage. A Grandmother to 20 and Great-Grandmother to 25 more.
She was a true Mother-Hen. She said to me once; “You never stop being a parent, no matter how old your children are.” She lived by that motto. And she didn’t stop at being a Mother-Hen to her own children and Grand-Children; she also was a Mother-Hen to her neighbors and fellow Church members.
She was also a Prankster. She had a mischievousness streak. She loved to play a good prank on somebody. As a child I would listen for hours at her telling stories of walking Ethel, her sister, through mud puddles on their way to church, or pulling practical jokes on her other sister Ider. She told me a story once of when her children were young and a new family moved into the community. The new neighborhood children would come over to play and were not allowed to eat meat. Mamaw thought that was awful. So can you guess what she did when those kids came back over? That’s right! She fed those kids bologna and Ham and Cheese loaf. She said those kids gobbled it up. No wonder that family moved shortly after that.
But most importantly, she was filled with the Love of God. She knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
A true witness of a Christian is not how loud they shout, but how much they Love others with God’s Love. A tree is known by their fruit and a Christian is known by the fruits of the Spirit – the first Fruit that the Bible lists for a Christian is LOVE.
1 Cor 13:1-3: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. NKJV
Ruby Tinsley lived by this passage. In everything she did, she did with the Love of God.
For me, my memories are many – and they are wonderful. But to give you a snapshot of how she helped mold me to be who I am today, let me share with you just one of many things she did. Mamaw had a good sized Dogwood tree beside her house with a patio table and chairs sitting under its shade. Mamaw would often sit at that Patio table with me and simply share how Jesus loved me, that He would always be there for me, that He wanted to be my Best Friend, Helper and Guide and how I could talk to Him any time I wanted as if He was sitting next to me. Long before I went to Seminary and learned Theology, Mamaw taught me to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus. I am truly grateful for that.
This week I was blessed by my Executive Pastor and his wife as they purchased a Dogwood tree and gave it to me in memory of my Grandmother. Today, I planted that tree in my front yard. As it grows and produces shade of its own, perhaps God will give me the opportunity to continue my Grandmother’s legacy and share Jesus to my Children and Grand-Children under the Dogwood.
As I was driving home on the Interstate Friday after learning that Mamaw had just gone home to see Jesus, I began to think of the one song that she sang in Church as a Special. That song was… “Highway to Heaven.” And as I thought back to her singing that song a smile crossed my face and I hope it will yours too. She would sing;
“I’m on the Highway to Heaven; Nothing can go up there, but the pure in the heart; It’s the Highway to Heaven; walking up the King’s Highway.”
On Friday, June 19th, Jesus took Mamaw Ruby’s hand and together they began walking down the King’s Highway.
Are you walking down the King's Highway? You can, if you too receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
