"i invite YOU in": PROPHETIC EULOGY

In honor of my mother’s newly released book “SLAMMED,”  and it’s emphasis on faith in God in the midst of a storm, I would like to share an abbreviated version of the words spoken at my brother John’s funeral -- nine years ago-- on behalf of my mother by her friend.  (It’s worth the longer read!)--------An amazing thing happened three decades ago in Bayside Village.  There in the spring of 1978, John and Cherri Olsen—that’s my husband and me and our baby son John moved into the barn-style house at 110 Oakdale Ave. directly across the street from the barn-style house at 109 Oakdale Ave, where John and Andrea Maher lived with their baby son, John. And I noticed right away that their house was always filled with family---brothers, sisters, wives, nieces, nephews and cousins, which was exactly true of our house.But the most compelling observation I made from across the street was when I watched Little John learn to walk.  There was this precious little boy, a handsome boy—with his jet-black hair, those deep dark eyes, the unibrow that his beautiful baby girl has inherited—wearing only a Pampers diaper, up and down the driveway he toddled with----and this was the compelling observation for me—his mother following closely behind.  Again and again the two of them would go, up and down the driveway.  Wherever that little boy went, his mother was right behind him every step of the way with endless patience.  And you could tell that she wanted to be nowhere else—that she wanted to do nothing else.  All her joy in life was right there in that little boy.And that is when I recognized my spiritual twin. And it was shortly after that we finally got beyond the “hellos” and really started talking and discovered the bond we had as sisters in Christ and in our same attitude toward the high goal, the high calling of being a mom.For 27 years now and counting, we have shared this journey.  Today Anne is feeling a bit overpowered, and I think we can all understand that.  That is why I am standing here for her.  Ever so gradually Anne will heal, and when she does she will recover her voice.  And then we all know what will happen next, there will be no stopping her:  She will take all of the lessons she has learned and is learning and bring it to all of us in her writings and in her teachings to the glory of God.In the meantime, she wants all of you to know this:  Andrea thanks God and praises him for everything this child brought into their lives each day.  All of the bad as well as all of the good….because this son brought her into a deeper, closer, more intimate relationship with God.For instance, when she heard herself saying to John, “That is an affront to our family name!  That is an offense to your father’s reputation!”  she would hear her Heavenly Father say to her, “How do you represent my name? Why are his sins so much greater than yours?”Pride was stripped away, judgmentalism removed and Anne discovered true friendship with God.  So how can we thank and praise God for our troubles, for pain, for sorrow?  Well, Charles Swindoll put it this way, “The avoidance of legitimate suffering means we also avoid the growth that problems demand of us.”Seven years ago, Anne realized that God wanted her to grow, and he was using John David Maher Jr. to teach her.  When she is ready to share those lessons from John it will be powerful; but for today Anne wants all of us to leave here with:God is good.God is always on time.And Romans 8:28:  We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.

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