Edith was 97 years old when she died on September 23rd. I knew her primarily at the communion rail, where when I would present her with the Blood of Christ, she would look me straight in the eye, give me a big smile and murmur “Amen” or sometimes “Thank you.” The smile was a radiant morning gift.

It was another gift to attend her memorial service last Saturday; a true celebration of her life. The loving testimonies given by her son, her daughter-in-law, great nephew and friends and Pastor’s thoughtful sermon solidified my belief that Edith was a special person with a faith strong enough to overcome any obstacle and still come out with a smile and have a positive impact on others.

One might think that with this sunny disposition, Edith had had an easy life. Not so. Her father abandoned the family when she was just a small child. Her mother re-married and her new husband adopted her brother, but not her. At nine years old, she had to move from her home and go to live with an aunt, who thankfully was kind, loving and caring. However, that experience is very traumatic for a child.

I learned a lot about Edith on Saturday. Enough to make me regret not getting to know her better while she walked the earth and enough to affirm my belief that the practice of faith in our loving God is the most important action that I can take. Total dependence and surrender to God are the answers for all the events in my life.

I want to share Edith’s favorite poem with you. It is not theological in nature; but is more profound than you would expect from the title. The author is unknown.

Smiling
Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner
And someone saw me grin;
And when he smiled I realized
I’d passed it on to him.

I thought about the smile a lot
And realized its worth;
A single smile like mine, or yours,
Could travel round the Earth.

So if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected;
Let’s start an epidemic quick
And get the world infected.

Edith’s smile was infectious. I know that God is smiling on all of us because we are His children and He loves us unconditionally!

Terri