“Who is that”, I thought. There was a woman with bold, wild red hair with an even bolder personality. “This is my Aunt Lori”. It didn’t take long. She wanted to know where I was from, who my family was, what kind of job I had, and a million other questions. And it didn’t take me long to figure out how to be myself around her.
As the years went by, I began sharing more of my heart with her. And she shared hers with me. She was a proud, devoted mom, and grandmother. Putting her husband above all others was one of her greatest joys and was totally obvious. Have you seen her watch David sing? Like a hysterical teen being struck with a case of love at first sight of the King, nearly fainting and having to be carried out. True love.
There would be home cooked meals from scratch. “No one cooks from scratch anymore”, I heard her say. Her cookies, carefully wrapped in packages waiting for each guest to indulge in were a holiday hit. “I’ll bring over a meal”. Her homemade soups, breads, and goodies that she brought over after babies, surgeries, and even a miscarriage made you feel like a kid snuggling up to your favorite blanket while melting into the comfort of your mother’s arms.
There would be parties, events, and decorations. Her vision and eye for each meaningful detail could not be matched. The dream weddings, birthday parties, showers, and daddy daughter dances. She knew each event and each guest mattered. Because they mattered first to God. What one could see with their physical eyes, she could see in the spirit.
There would be handmade crafts and intentional gifts. “This was made out of Grandma Barbara’s dress”. After Grandma’s passing, she made each girl in the family a dress keepsake made from the swatch of Grandma’s 50th wedding anniversary dress. She even created Christmas bulbs containing a rose from her brother-in-law Joe’s funeral. We were gifted those at Christmas. Gifts that are remembered and cherished for a lifetime. Gifts that are felt and carry a lot of love.
“Lori, can you make a Tinkerbell dress for Cady’s birthday?” She had made these gorgeous hand made dresses for her three oldest granddaughters. “Actually, I have enough material for one more.” But, this wasn’t a coincidence. Lori was always finding God’s hand in situations. Because she was always looking in awe at her Creator.
”And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.“
2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT
The more I got to know her, the more genuinely amazed I was. I began to discover she had a gift for writing. She could write poems, letters, beautiful notes in cards, and speeches. She even had a column in the local paper years ago.
I shared not only my writing but my writer’s dreams with her. Things I don’t share with a lot of people. And she shared hers with me. It’s an honor to be entrusted with someone’s dreams. We became encouragement for each other. “I really want to write a book for my kids and grandchildren”, she told me. And she started her blog. In the journey of online blogging, there can be discouragement. “I just don’t have a lot of subscribers”. But, still, she continued on, knowing she heard from God about the one.
I’ve read many works from various writers. Some with small audiences, some that have gone viral. No one could write like Lori. Her gift was superior to most of the storytelling that is popular. Her creative retelling was a window into her life and her heart. You were like a companion in her life, joining along for the ride. God knew He could entrust her with such a potent gift because of her obedience and humility. She wasn’t gifted with a large audience but was gifted with a meaningful impact that would produce a large harvest.
“Rejected art forms are always the best ones. They are hidden gems meant to be found by those that desperately need to experience the beauty within them.”
I wrote that quote not knowing what was near and not knowing it’s purpose.
In her final post, she expressed that she felt regret. Like she had wasted time on decorating and parties. She planned to reposition herself to focus on writing: her true creative gift.
If she only truly saw what all of us saw in her. There’s endless beauty in living a life for Christ and simply serving your family.
I heard that the time was coming for Lori to be face to face with Jesus. I wept thinking I had lost my chance to share with her everything I had wanted to say.
I quickly typed out some things I wanted to say, while my husband called family so I could phone in.
“Lori, you did it! You wrote your book. And you wrote it with the love you have for all of us. You wrote with the time you spent, your words of encouragement, and your affection. You wrote it all with emotion and with action. You didn’t need to write it down. It’s such a beautiful story! Thank you for letting me be a part in your beautiful life story. I have loved every part that you shared with me. I’m so thankful that I’ve been gifted an aunt like you. A wonderful cheerleader and friend celebrating us each step of the way. I love you with all my heart.”
They say that loved ones can hear you in their final moments. I hope she heard every single word.
And I believe it’s true. She wrote a chapter each time she gave a homemade gift, with each party and event, with each homemade meal, with each laugh, with each kind word. She wrote her chapters with the love she had for us and for God. With each chapter she brought Heaven down to Earth.
Sometimes, God gives us a vision that we think is just for us, but it is actually for future generations after us. But the one with the vision lays a foundation and begins planting the seed. There are many writers in our larger family. It’s our turn to carry the mantle. There will be books written and published. There will be audiences moved to tears. There will be memories shared. There will be great stories to tell.There will be a great harvest, because you saw the one, and because you were a good steward to plant the seed.
Thank you for your faith, your sacrifice, your love, your storytelling. Thank you, most of all, for serving the Lord.
”May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.“
Matthew 6:10 NLT
Love's Progress Notes 