NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

April 5

This month’s devotionals were written in grateful collaboration with my mother-in-law, who passed away a little over a week ago.

Scripture focus: A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1 NIV

For the McBean’s twenty fifth wedding anniversary Marion bought Wes a new set of golf clubs. For a frugal family, this was a big deal. Eager for Wes to use them, she hauled them out before the actual anniversary day and sent her husband and sixteen year old son Peter out to the links to give the new clubs a try. Wes seemed unusually tired during the 18 holes of golf. A family friend had joined up with them, and it was he who gave instructions and sought aid when Wes lost consciousness on the 18th hole. What a shock for this young family, new to the Richmond area and far away from family when the news came – he had suffered a fatal heart attack.

When faced with widowhood at an early age, Marion kept building her house. She built it wisely. It was an ordeal traveling to Maine and figuring out all the logistics. In response to that trial, Marion made decisions about the logistics of her own burial that made even her dying easier for her kids to experience. Even in shock and grief, her priority was her family. She thought about Peter’s last golfing experience. The entire family loved the game of golf, and she didn’t want this sad experience to ruin the game for her youngest son. I cannot imagine the energy it cost her. But within a week of returning from the funeral, she gathered up her boy and they went out and played the same course Peter had played so recently with his dad.

Finances were tight. I can remember how carefully she managed the money they had so that she could be home when Pete got home from school. She kept this commitment until he went to college. She also managed to find a way to get him a youth membership at a local country club, so that he could spend time playing golf with his friends.

Through a series of decisions, she built her house. It required sacrifice and hardship. But she trusted God to work out the details as she lived out her convictions.

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