Cynthia Wier, member of Gene Decker Study Class 

Psalm 121:1-8

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:  he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from evil:  he shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

 

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Reflection:

When I was a very young girl growing up in the small Central Texas town of Eddy, we lived in my grandfather’s house. My great-aunt Mattie lived next door. She and her sister Jessie and six brothers had moved from northeastern Alabama to Texas, and she had lived a few miles out in the country in the little community of Spring Valley. She was a woman who knew the Lord and it showed throughout her life.

Aunt Mattie, when I knew her, was a retired teacher who had taught many children in kindergarten and first grade. She had wanted so much to attend college and become accredited, and with determination she pursued this goal. I have heard that many young people in the town benefitted from her passion for knowledge and for sharing this learning with others.

We would see Aunt Mattie on Sunday morning walking the few blocks to church, dressed in a floral print dress and a straw hat, and always with her Bible and Sunday School quarterly in hand. She seldom missed a Sunday.

Aunt Mattie had numerous nieces and nephews, my father and aunts included. She was our Aunt Mat, and she loved her family dearly. As the last child at home, she had rescued her mother (my great-grandmother) years before from the old house when a stove caught fire and the house burned to the ground. I know that her mind and heart certainly were centered on God’s help and grace.

In Psalm 121 we can dwell on the words “My help cometh from the Lord…he that keepeth thee will not slumber nor sleep.” The words are so comforting and sustaining. God assures us of his love for us. “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and forever more.” My great-aunt felt this protection as she pulled her mother from the fire. Her faith strengthened her and gave her courage in this time of need.

I have cards for birthdays and graduation that she sent. More than that, I have the memory of her Christian faith as she studied the Bible and kept a journal. She inspired many young children to read and to write, but her relationship with God was foremost in her heart.

During my first year away at college we knew that Aunt Mattie would not be with us much longer. On Christmas morning I went with my dad to the hospital to see her. She was weak but alert enough to know that we were there.We lost her on a hot July day the following summer. Her memorial service was attended by many local friends, as well as all of our family. We had lost a beloved aunt, and to many former students, a memorable teacher. As we sang her favorite hymn – “The Old Rugged Cross,” we thought about her lifelong service to her family, her church and to God.

She possessed a love for teaching and a steadfast devotion to her faith that never wavered. That year our family members joined together to dedicate a small window in the church that reflected Aunt Mattie’s love of learning and belief in God – a stained glass lamp in bright colors that surely lit her way.

Prayer: 

Dear Heavenly Father – let me look to those who showed me how to follow the path that you would have me walk. Your word is with me, and I will use it to guide me through difficult times as well as seasons of blessings. Keep me on your path always. In your name. Amen.