Mr. Monty

A fixture in my life went home to be with Jesus this morning.  Always there. I'm having trouble processing today because something that's always there has to still be there,  right?  My family has attended the same church all my life, actually all my dad's life. I not only had the same pastor for 30 plus years, I've had the same church family. Well, obviously there were ebbs and flows in attendance, probably less than 100 people sometimes, close to 300 at another. People come and people go, but that's not true of all people. Some people stay, some people do not go. They don't just tell you about the faithfulness of God they model it, they live it, they ARE the faithfulness of God.

My older brother was six years older than me the baby nine years younger, yet we all had the same first Sunday School teachers. Actually, that's nothing, my former Sunday School classmates have children now and THEY had the same Sunday School teachers too.  Mr. Monty and Miss Laura. When I called their house this week to say, whatever you say in moments like this, "Thank you... I love you.... I'm praying... see you there....," whatever you can manage to get out before your heartache catches in your throat and words are replaced with sobs. A nurse or family member, a voice I didn't recognize answered the phone and I wasn't prepared for that, I stuttered, "May I speak to Mr. Monty or Miss Laura?" I'm sure they thought why is this grown woman using nursery school titles? Because I may not have remained 4 years old, (although I'm told I DID remain in (read refused to leave) the 4yo SS class till I was maybe 6), but they've remained Mr. Monty and Miss Laura in my life. Fixtures. Faithfulness.

As I've played and replayed the memory reel over and over in my mind today the only memories I have of Mr. Monty are of smiles, of being hugged and told, "We love you, you know that?" Of him saying, "She's on our tab!" to the waitress. Of Christmas and Birthday cards EVERY single year of my life.  Of being handed check, after check after check. I started going on mission's trips in 1995, therefore I started fundraising in 1995 and haven't really stopped, there is not one trip they did not contribute to monetarily and prayerfully. So every good thing done, every life changed, every soul heaven gained on those trips, he's finding out right now as he stands before Jesus that those too are on his tab.  Supporters, like church attenders, ebb and flow too especially when you fundraise for 20 years, but again they, Mr. Monty and Miss Laura, are the exception or rather the exceptional.  Since becoming a full time missionary in 2009, I get a monthly statement that lists every supporter who gave that month, I do not have a statement that doesn't list Ernest M. and Laura Gilliam. Loving. Generous. Consistent. Faithful.  Like captions, in my mind's eye I see these words underneath the memories, the moments, that if compiled span my entire life. Captions that equal the attributes of the life of Mr. Monty. Attributes that are listed in Galatians 5:22:  "The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control..." I don't know about you, but I might get one or two of these listed as my attributes on a really good day, but the other days it's hit or miss, or miss again.

I'm astounded when I look my memory reel and I look at Galatians 5:22 and it's ALL there in the life of Mr. Monty, every word, every evidence of a life lived full of the Spirit of God. Love oozed in word and deed, Joy evidenced with smiles & laughter & other intangible measures, Forbearance in love and showing up for so many from cute toddlers, thru the difficult teen years, into adulthood, when you can take smelly boys on campouts and put up with them week after week, 45 years of marriage, and 60 plus years of serving your church, your community, and the Lord every single day. Kindness and Goodness relate more to how you made others feel - my FB feed, full of tributes, says Mr. Monty was more than kind and good. Faithfulness is probably the best way to describe Mr. Monty, a fixture, always there, not just in presence, but in service and duty, and most of all character. Gentleness you do not teach a children's Sunday School class that children do not want to graduate from for over 30 years without being gentle. In all my years of knowing Mr. Monty, I cannot recollect even one memory of him being angry, hateful, or even impatient with me, this, to me, is a picture of Self Control.  It's ALL there.

So, Mr. Monty, thank you for being a real live example of what it means to be Christlike, it's taught us and molded us, and shaped me into who I am today. Your life has challenged me to get it right more often, to show up, to remain faithful and in step with the Savior that you taught me about with flannel boards, and popsicle sticks, and Easter bunny costumes. So, Thank you, I love you, see you there...

I'm totally confused by this photo, how is the bunny standing there if Mr. Monty is OUTSIDE the costume?
The Easter Bunny must be real.