Mary’s Love

Mary Frances Moore is the sister of my mother. She is my sweet auntie that raised me after my mom passed. Aunt Francie was not a perfect woman, but this is where I first felt loved. This woman taught me of Jesus. She kept me in church. From seven years old to 18, I was an usher, a choir member. I cleaned the church and served in every way I could because of this lady. With her I learned what real faith looked like in action.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, I watched as her body deteriorated from the chemo. I wept when her hair would come out in her hands. I sobbed when she revealed her removed breasts to me. Bloody, scarred, and bruised, she wouldn’t shed one tear of self-pity. She would only speak of the Lord’s faithfulness and her trust in His healing that she claimed He promised her. This woman was radical to the point people laughed at her and she didn’t care. Her joy, her love for friends and strangers alike, especially the outcast, is what has shaped me into the woman I am today.

The week before she passed, she gave me the doctor’s report that she was indeed cancer-free. The joy on her frail face to boast in her Savior that He keeps His promises was amazing to see. All the same, she has served her purpose in this life. She raised many children that did not come from her womb. I was the last one and I was now a freshman in college and I feel she was ready to be with the lover of her soul. She passed March 20th, 2003. When she left, a piece of me went with her. I will always treasure my Auntie Mary’s love.

~ Sister Ruth.