How good it is to go to a funeral filled with hope and joy. Jean Olive Miller was a woman of considerable substance who lived a fairly quiet and 'ordinary' life; but she made a lasting impression on so many people along the way.
I was thinking about the lessons that her life taught us. She saw so much change over her time at Bridgeway Community Church. From it's beginnings in the 1950's through to the present day.
Her life has taught me:
1) It is good to remember the past, but it is always important to live in the present with an eye to the future. Jean was not a sentimental person.
2) Avoid the arrogance of thinking that our own contribution is somehow more 'special' or 'valuable' than someone else's. Over the years Jean saw so many changes in church leadership -- and a couple of splits. She never seemed to become jaded -- in fact her response to change was to lament why others couldn't find a way to reconcile, but she was always ready to move on. Her hope remained firmly in Jesus -- I'm sure that's why there was always a twinkle in her eye.
I was thinking about the lessons that her life taught us. She saw so much change over her time at Bridgeway Community Church. From it's beginnings in the 1950's through to the present day.
Her life has taught me:
1) It is good to remember the past, but it is always important to live in the present with an eye to the future. Jean was not a sentimental person.
2) Avoid the arrogance of thinking that our own contribution is somehow more 'special' or 'valuable' than someone else's. Over the years Jean saw so many changes in church leadership -- and a couple of splits. She never seemed to become jaded -- in fact her response to change was to lament why others couldn't find a way to reconcile, but she was always ready to move on. Her hope remained firmly in Jesus -- I'm sure that's why there was always a twinkle in her eye.
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