Memorial Message For My Wife Joyce

Thanks to you all for coming here to remember Joyce. Many of you knew her well, some of you hardly knew her, and some did not know her at all but came to pay respects to me and my family. I so appreciate your care and concern.

I want to tell you – I knew her the best. We celebrated 50 years together as husband and wife last year. In our modern culture, you just don’t see that much anymore.

I knew when I married her that I had a beautiful and loving bride. But as we grew together raising children and I observed her relationships with people, I knew that God had given me a very special treasure of a wife.

I saw that she was a GIVER to others of extreme proportions. God wired this servant heart into her unique personality. While I myself, when called upon to help others, often stopped to consider first what it might cost me, Joyce jumped into every situation to help instantly.

As the Holy Spirit matured us in our spiritual growth, one verse of the Bible caught us and became the theme song in our Christian walk. The apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20, said about himself and, by extension, about all true Christians, – I am crucified with Christ – nevertheless I live – yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
One of the longest single verses in the Bible and one of the most inspiring.

Our discovery of this true inner union with Christ was the milestone of our Christian walk. And especially for Joyce with her servant wiring to begin with, she just leaped forward in her spiritual growth.

In this graduation season, I can see God saying, “There’s my loving child, Joyce. She has passed her tests about my lifestyle and is ready for graduation to come to be with me. My child, Lou, has a few more lessons to learn first, and then he can come to be with Joyce.”

We all in our own way miss Joyce and are sad. And that’s good. That is just part of our human makeup.

But I’m here to tell you right now, let that more important spirit part of you kick in. Celebrate with me that Joyce is with her Lord, Jesus Christ. She was a happy person and she wants us to be happy now too. Remember the song, “If you could see me now.” I’m sure those are Joyce’s words now.

Thank you again, and God bless you all.

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