The following are excerpts from “Spider Sisters” a book given to me for my birthday from my sister Pat……..

My sister is a spider and that’s quite alright with me.  For she has eight arms and legs to share her dolls and toys, you see.

I know that she’s not perfect and at times we fuss and fight, but for a million different reasons, she’s more than just alright.

If you think I love my sister than you’re right in what your hear, for she’s full of fun and giggles, and always has a listening ear.

You might think I love her ‘cause she’s always so much fun’ but the greatest thing she’s taught me is to love like God’s own Son.  Like the time that we were playing and I looked up to see that my sister had gone over and was talking to a flea.  Felicia Flea just had to be the least liked girl in school yet my sister saw how sad she looked, and lived the ‘Golden Rule.’  She insisted Felicia join our game, for she always sees God’s best in people and treats them all the same.

Each night when mom tucked us in and sang our favorite song,  she’d get down on her knees with us and we’d both pray along.  She’d ask that God would bless me, and bless my sister too.  She’d pray our love for Him would keep us close like super glue…………..

One day we both grew up and moved away from  home, and both had loving husbands and children of our own.  My prayer has been our kids will be as close as we’ve become, and they’ll have “Spider Sisters” who both love the other  one……  We’ll always have each other!

We will always have each other.  I’m assured of this because not only are we  sisters by our  physical birth bu also by our spiritual birth.  That’s the hope that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

My sister was a very special person.  A Proverbs 31 woman; “A wife of noble character, worth far more than rubies and gold.  A diligent homemaker, valuable helper, nurturing mother, upright and God fearing woman.  Her children shall rise up and call her blessed.  A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  She opened her arms to the poor and extended her hand to the needy.  An untiring worker.”  She gave her life to the ministry of The Overflowing Cup.  She taught others and demonstrated the love of our Lord as she carried out her many and varied tasks on a daily basis.  She wore many hats during the years she stood at the helm of the Total Life Ministry.  Now she has received her crown, but her only reason for being was to share the “Good News,” the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It may seem absurd to many of us that the Creator of the Universe would take such a deep personal interest in mankind.  Yet this is the very heart of the gospel.  The Bible reveals that we are made in the image of God and tied to each one of us  is the price tag of Calvary.

During the time Pat fought this disease, we all joined in prayer asking God to do a miracle of healing for her…His ways are far above ours and past finding out.  He chose not to honor our request.  God doesn’t owe us a miracle.  He doesn’t need to do anything to prove His goodness.  He’s given us the greatest of all miracles, redemption, eternal life to all who believe in Christ’s atoning death on Calvary.

I speak for my sister today when I ask you not to let her work in this life be in vain.  She deserves the nicest of mansions in Heaven but somehow I think she’ll want nothing more than her place at Jesus’s feet.

Until that day when God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain, for the former things are passed away…We say farewell.

        Thanks be to God, which gives us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Oh death, where is thy sting, oh grave, where is thy victory?  We shall be like Him. 

                                Your Sister Mavis