I beg your consideration as I take some time today for personal introspection.  I would like to give honor to the memory of someone for whom I have grieved deeply.

Today is a day of significance and remembrance for me.  Five years ago  today my mother-in-law, Ruth Babb, passed away.  She was 75, and a wonderful woman of faith.  I learned many things from her.

In dealing with loss of those I love, I try to remember and enumerate the things that I have learned from them. In the search for significance, I think the most that we can hope for is that we can leave behind something of value for those that follow.  I am not speaking of material or tangible things, but values and virtues that teach and bring depth to a life.

This godly woman taught me many things.  First of all, she raised my husband, who, of course, has had great impact on my life.  This man is a man of incredible strength and determination.  His grit and courage has taught me much about life, and it has brought much gain to my life.  His work ethic has made my life easy, because he has always been a good provider, which gave me the freedom to be home when I needed to be to raise my children.  He worked three jobs at times to grant me the privilege of being at home.  He is always in pursuit of excellence, which has raised the bar, not only for me, but as an example to our children.

I am very grateful to his mother for her influence in his life.  I discerned very quickly that he had inherited his strong courage from her.  As I came to know her, I learned that she had faced significant hardship in her own life, and had been faithful to stand strong in adversity.  She had been a rock for her children through many difficult years.  As a mother of nine children, she did not shirk her duty in raising her children, even though many times she was alone.  Her children have much for which to be thankful, as they had a mother who loved them and always did right by them.

I also saw incredible tenacity and faithfulness in her service to her husband.  Stricken with Alzheimer's in his latter years, he was quite dependent, and I watched her stand by him and care for him for a number of years.

I also observed her love for her children and grandchildren.  She had unconditional love for each of them, regardless of where they were in life.  Some of her children had made choices that were difficult to understand and caused hardship.  She always loved and did her best to be a godly mother.  I saw her embrace her children's spouses with that same love.  She always treated me as though I was one of her own.

In her latter years, after her husband's death, she served many of the elders in her church by spending time with them, giving them transportation to church and other places, and just being a friend.  Her servant's heart was a defining trait, and since her death, she has been greatly missed by those whom she served.

She always exemplified a contented Christian.  I observed that, although her circumstances were not ideal many times, she accepted and embraced those circumstances with beautiful grace, making the best of the situation, and even serving others when she might have had reason to complain.

I watched as Ruth battled heart disease and diabetes at the end of her life.  She had dealt with the diabetes for many years, but once the heart issues began, her body did not deal well with both diseases.  Her struggle was painful and heartrending to watch.  She finally decided that the physical struggle was not worth the fight, and she began to pray for relief.  I find it significant that she prayed for release from this life.  She was not afraid to meet her Maker.  In fact, she embraced that event with passion.  When we heard that she was praying for relief, we began to pray with her, asking for God's will.  In a matter of hours, God answered those prayers.  On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, she gained relief from her suffering.

In retrospect, I very much doubt that my mother-in-law regarded herself as a teacher.  She might be surprised to know that I see her as one of the best teachers I know.  In living her life, she became an example and role model to those around her.  I daresay that her children and grandchildren would say that she was a great teacher also.

I believe the greatest honor I could give would be to emulate and follow the principles which I have been taught by this precious lady.  Following her example and serving unselfishly would not only bring honor to her memory, but also impact her legacy.  I can affect the next generation the same way she affected mine.

I am so thankful for the precious memory of Ruth Babb.  May her legacy of service and love live on in me and my children.