In Loving Memory of Marylee Dombrowski -March 31st 1937- December 13th 2013 Mom and Me

To Mom with Love June 5th 2014

December 13, 2013 came and went like any other day on the 
calendar. For me, however, it was the day that turned my life inside out and 
upside down. A date that will forever be etched in my memory as a turning point like none other. On this day, at exactly 10:30 pm, but marked officially at 11:10 pm, my beloved mother, Marylee Loughlin Dombrowski, went to
 heaven!

Now in our fast paced society, with people coming and going 
everyday, it may seem silly that this cycle of life and transition holds such an intensity with me? I mean, it's been going on for millennia? Cognitively, we all know this day is coming, for some sooner then others. So why the intense impact on me, and my family? Why the constant revisiting of memories, both good and bad, cycling through my mind? Why the feverish pitch to learn and chronicle all the facts that are still fresh in my mind? 

Maybe in some way , it's like what the scribes in the bible days would do ? In order to ensure the memory and accuracy of events that impacted humanity, they would, through the telling of stories, and the written word, pass on their memories to the following generations. We owe these scribes a debt of gratitude, for their diligence and detail, in transcribing history for the rest of us to enjoy! 

I now see how important it is to slow down, reflect, and feel the impact that the vacancy of a loved one leaves us. This process enables us to share and transmit the stories and lessons of a life that has been lived alongside us, in our own journey of life. Each life interconnecting us with the preceding generations.  Why is this so important?  It's part of our own personal history that contributes to our story, which in turn gets passed on to our own children, whether biological, or spiritual.

We hear so much about the negative impacts of generational iniquity passing effortlessly from one generation to the next. The ease in which mindsets and patterns of thought are passed through the laws of transmission, just by being in close proximity to someone for a prolonged period of time? Maybe it's time to highlight the importance of how 
this also happens for the good, in passing on a legacy of blessing and hope for the following generations.

The apostle Paul said that each life is a living epistle, seen and read by all men. Each day declares the Glory and wisdom of God, to him who has ears to hear the parables of life? Knowledge can come to those who live life at a feverish pace. The wisdom of God, however, only comes to those who are led by "the still waters", and "lie down in the green pastures" of life, as spoken by King David, in Psalm 23.

With each life lived around us, especially family, there is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge that can be assimilated and transmitted, if we take the time to have "ears to hear?" Even with the negative impacts on our lives, if we take the time to learn from our stories, and our family's story, without getting bitter, we grow!

In the spirit of focusing on the positive attributes of my mom in passing on her legacy of love to her family, I would like to share a little about her and some of what I have learned from her. She has imprinted her love to her family in so many ways. 

First she was a survivor of polio, abuse, a failed first marriage 
due to the violence of drugs and alcohol in her spouse and almost lost her life a couple of times due to medical reasons. Each time she faced a crisis, mom rose to the occasion, confronted the problems with a sense of humor and grace, and kept moving forward. She was not a quitter, but a fighter! Her siblings used to refer to her as "General Lee"! Mom refused to remain a victim, and helped many others overcome their trials through encouragement and love. 

I have seen many people in life become hardened and bitter when suffering losses.  My mom had a way of turning losses into compassion and acceptance towards those less fortunate or misunderstood in society. She was the most non-judgmental person I ever knew. Mom was gracious and accepting of everyone she met. Of course if you crossed her, or did wrong by her family, mom would speak up and  hit you between the eyes verbally before you even knew what hit you! She was very comical in the way she did this as well.

I could write so much more about my mom but for the sake of space and time, I will summarize her impact on my life.

I attribute my going into ministry with my mom and her mother's (my grandmother) simple childlike faith in a loving God. The love I have for my children, and now first grandchild, can be traced to her imprint. So many of her family traditions have now become a way of life for my family. 

My Mom's legacy of faith, love, forgiveness , and always 
hoping for a better day, has been realized in my life!

I am now a continuance of her heart print of desires and prayers, that maybe she didn't even get to finish seeing in her own life? 

My prayer is that this same legacy will continue on for generations to come. I want to have the same hope, that whatever I am not able to finish in this life, will be continued through my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Hebrews 12:1 - says, 
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, (those who have gone before us) let us lay aside every weight, and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. 

God has a destiny and a race for each one of us. Our relatives that 
have gone before  us, leave us with both negative and positive emotional spiritual DNA imprints. It is our job through Christ to face, overcome, and
learn from the negative traits, and continue with the positive ones.

In essence we are all running a relay race in which our loved ones hand the baton of life, love, dreams and prayers, to us on earth, as they travel home to heaven for eternity. 

This is our blessed hope. That our destinies in Christ would be realized, blossom (or manifest), and advance for generations to come.