MORE THAN A MEMORY

A loneliness swept over me,
As I sat in church to-day,
For there were loved ones absent,
Ones God had called away.

Each one of us remember friends,
Who used to worship here,
A special one, to most of us,
One that we, alone held dear.

But there was one that we all loved,
And she loved us, as much,
A bond of faith. and love and trust,
Akin to God's own touch.

She wasn't just a Pastor,
But she was of the best,
She wasn't just a friend of ours,
But she was true in every test.

She wasn't just a neighbor,
But she was a neighbor too,
She wasn't just helpmate,
She was a sweetheart too.

She wasn't 'just a mother,
She was mother, dad, and pal,
Not only to her own small brood,
But to every child as well.

She did not speak with eloquence,
She had no fancy flair,
But when she bowed her head to pray,
You knew that God was there.

She had no millions to endow,
But what she had she gave,
Her life to God and service,
Humanity to save.

Her minister was not just talk,
She lived it day by day,
In humbleness and service,
With always time to pray.

I don't believe that God is pleased,
When we moan the past,
For after all His will is best,
And she is home at last.

If she could speak to us to-night,
I'm sure she'd tell us this,
"Don't waste your time on looking back,
Or the way of God you'll miss".

Our memories are priceless things,
But they seldom help us grow,
For past, is past, and this is now,
And' God's command is "go".

Oh, yes we lost a Pastor,
And we' also lost a friend,
The years may dim the memory,
But the work will never end.

Though her memory is dear to us,
And I'm sure it will always be,
Her work is done, our work is not,
Our Christ says "Follow Me".

 

In memory of Rev. Hattie M. Ness,
Pastor of the Knox Church of the Nazarene, Knox In.
passed away, July 20, 1954

AUTHOR: Margaret Shankland 1954