Hebrews chapter 11 is sometimes called God’s Faith Hall of Fame. In this chapter, the author testified of numerous heroes of faith whose stories were recorded throughout the Bible. If Hebrews 11 continued to our present age, I am certain my mother’s name would be listed.
My Mother, Elsie Verna Haselton Brazelle Watson, was born on April 21, 1920. In keeping with the vernacular of Heb. 11, by faith, Verna survived the Great Depression, endured being apart from her husband for over 2 years while he served overseas in WWII, recovered from tuberculosis while living in a TB sanatorium for over a year, remained steadfast through heart disease, Lupus, breast cancer and mastectomies in 1988 and 1992, persevered as caretaker for my daddy until his death by cancer in 1994, and stood firm when diagnosed with bone cancer in 1998 while continuing to joyfully love her family, mow her lawn and work in her yard. When bone cancer metastasized to cancer of the brain, lungs and liver in March 2003, by faith she proclaimed, “Isn’t life fascinating!”
On June 20, 2003, “her Beloved responded and said to her, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one and come along. For behold the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers have already appeared in the land…” (Song of Solomon 2:10-12), then Jesus took her home.
My heart cries out, “Well done, Mother! You fought the good fight, you finished the course, and you kept the faith! (2 Tim. 4:7). “Your children rise up and call you blessed! Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but the woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Prov. 31:28,30)
“Therefore, (let us) not throw away our confidence which has a great reward. For we (also) have need of endurance, so that when we have done the will of God, we may receive what was promised.” (Heb. 10:35-6)
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” (Heb. 12:1-2)
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